The Forbidden Forest
by Komoki-Tsuno
Summary: On a dare, Yugi goes into the Forbidden Forest, to disprove the theory that it’s a bloodthirsty vampire’s territory. The theory isn’t so easy to disprove, however, when that very vampire finds him and kidnaps him. Is it possible for love to blossom?
1. Prologue

**Title:** The Forbidden Forest  
**Summary:** On a dare, Yugi, denizen of a small town, goes into the Forbidden Forest, to disprove the theory that it's a bloodthirsty vampire's territory. The theory isn't so easy to disprove, however, when that very vampire finds him and kidnaps him. Is it possible for love to blossom between such an odd pair?  
**Warning:** R for blood, violence, graphic descriptions, language, and character death.  
**Parings:** Yugi/Yami  
**Timeline:** AU present

**

* * *

**KT: Hello fellow readers. This is the first story written by me on As you can imagine, I'm quite excited to get it off the ground. 

Taku: Everything excites you.

Juni: I don't see the appeal.

KT: Shut up, you two. Now. I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters associated with it. So, are you ready?

**

* * *

**Prologue 

(fifty years ago)

Red eyes glowed in the darkness of the night and the forest. On the shifting wind came the faint scent of blood. A smirk curled his lips upwards as he realized what this meant.

_Someone is in my territory. _

Standing up, he turned his gaze upwards to the tree he was standing next to. It was the tallest one in his forest. When he was at the top he could see for miles in any direction. Which was what he wanted. He expertly leapt from the ground twenty feet up onto a sturdy branch. Several similar jumps later, he was at the top, able to see the clear sky and the full moon. He looked in all directions, sniffing faintly.

Another whiff of human blood came to him from the southeast. He got down from the tree the same way he got up. Then, turning to face southeast, he started to run through the forest. The scent of blood became stronger and stronger as he ran along.

He stopped, suddenly. He saw the intruder. A girl. She had a flashlight, which was on its last legs. She kept hitting the side to keep the light constant as she slowly meandered through the forest. "I should never have accepted that stupid dare," she was saying to herself. "There's no vampire here. All I got out of this was getting lost. Oh, I want out of this creepy forest!"

A smirk graced his lips. He jumped up to stand on a branch high above her head. "And what," he said, watching with pleasure as she whirled in the direction his voice came from, "are you doing in _my_ forest?"

"Who's there?" the girl cried, shining the dim light around. "If that's you, Chip, trying to scare me-"

"I'm afraid you aren't that lucky," he interrupted. "You've trespassed into my territory, and for that, you must pay with your life."

The girl started to back away. "I wasn't trying to cause any trouble," she trembled, "I was just-"

She never got to finish her excuse, for in an instant, he had jumped down from the tree and landed in front of her, snatching the pathetic flashlight away and hurling it into the bushes. The girl let out the beginnings of a scream before a cold hand clamped over her mouth.

"Forget it, frail human," he hissed. "Your screams will not save you."

The girl squeaked underneath his hand as she tried to pull it off, but she was far too weak. He lifted up his free hand, and his nails extended into claws right before her terrified eyes.

The blood. The girl, futilely trying to escape, even as she died. It satisfied him to no end. He gave her no mercy whatsoever; killing her gave him a high. Her blood spilled on the ground, and seconds later, her lifeless body followed. His red eyes narrowed as he realized she was dead. It hadn't taken very long. Humans were so very fragile. It was sad. He smirked. At least he had something to drink now. He had started to get thirsty. The amount of idiots who wandered into the forest had been getting lower.

He licked his fingers clean, and then looked down at the body. _Best have some before it all drains out, _he thought.

* * *

Taku: Well, that's the prologue. 

Juni: The disturbing prologue.

KT: Next time, if there is one, the actual story will start, and we'll see Yugi meet Yami. So review and drop me a hello. If I could have at least two good reviews, it would totally make my day.


	2. A Dare

KT: Many tear-filled thanks to **kagome-princess, Sansi, pyromaniacgrl, AngelViper9, Pharaoh Atemu's Angel, **and** ladywolfTerri **for reviewing. I asked for two, and you gave me...well, if you look at the counter, it obviously displays a number higher than two, yes?  
Juni: Yep.  
Taku: Wait, let me count it...  
KT: (rolls eyes) So, here's the first real chapter, as your reward.  
Juni: It's only been a couple of days since the prologue.  
KT: (happy) Oh, well, I'm sure they don't mind.

* * *

1: A Dare 

(present day)

Everyone had heard of Domino City. It was a big city, and home to KaibaCorp's main headquarters. But not many people who didn't already live there had heard of Domino Town, which was only about ten miles away from the city. There were about 2,500 people in Domino Town, a relatively small amount for any place where a bunch of people live, except for maybe a neighborhood. The town was a place where nothing exciting or important ever happened, and no one got into trouble. The crime was down to a minimum because no one had anything valuable enough to steal.

Among the 2,500 people living in Domino City were three teenagers. They were all best friends. They, like everyone else, had no excitement in their life. If the UPS man came to the town with a package for somebody, they considered that the day's adventure.

Unfortunately for some, and fortunately for others, things were about to change.

* * *

"I dare you to...rattle Ms. Jenkins' fence!" 

"Aw, please! I can do dat!"

Sixteen-year-old Joey Wheeler puffed out his chest, like a macho man, and strutted over to where Ms. Jenkins' chain link fence separated her yard from the rest of the world. He intertwined his fingers between the links and jerked it back and forth. Immediately, Ms. Jenkins' pit bull, Grub, started growling and barking at him. Joey backed away so he wouldn't get his fingers bitten off.

"Aha!" Joey crowed, pointing an accusing finger at Tea Gardner. "I went through widdit! It wasn' so bad!"

Tea and the third member of their group, Yugi Moto, were both hiding chuckles behind their hands. "Oh no?" Tea managed to get out. "You sure about that?" She pointed.

Joey turned and saw that somehow Grub had managed to get a hold of the hem of his new leather jacket in its teeth, and was now trying to drag the blond back to the fence. Joey yelped and tore himself away, running a safe distance from the fence.

Tea and Yugi were in hysterics now. "D-didn't you just buy that, Joey?" Yugi said between laughs.

Joey glared at them. "It ain' dat funny!"

"Sure it is, Mr. Show-Off!" Tea shot back, finally containing herself. She rested her hands on her hips. "All right, Joey, you did complete my dare without too much injury, so now it's your turn. Dare one of us."

"A'righty den," Joey said. "I'll dare Yugi."

Yugi shrugged. "What am I doing?" he asked.

"Hmmm." Joey gazed around, chin in hand. "I dare ya to...hmm... Nah, not dat... Nah, dat's too easy... Gotta thinka payback fer laffin' at me...aha! Yugi," he said, pointing at his friend, "I dare ya t' go into da Ferbidden Forest!"

"Joey, are you nuts?" Tea exclaimed. "That stupid forest is haunted by a bloodsucking vampire! People have gone in there, never to be seen again!"

"Aw, don' tell me you two chickens belie' dat ol' fairy tale!" Joey teased. "Everybody knows dea ain't no such thing as vamps!" He turned to Yugi. "Are ya goin'? If ya do, ya gotta stay in dea fer ten minutes!"

Yugi narrowed his eyes. "Fine," he said. "I never back down from a challenge. Especially in a game." They all started walking.

"This is ridiculous," Tea said. She now seemed worried. "Even if there is no vampire, he could get lost, or anything!"

"It's a legitimate dare, a'right?" Joey told her.

Tea glared. "That doesn't exactly assure me."

"There it is," Yugi said, pointing. They looked up and found themselves in front of the Forbidden Forest. It seemed even scarier to Yugi considering he was about to go in it. A sign in front of it read WARNING-DO NOT ENTER.

"What if there is a vampire in there?" Tea asked. "Just because we've never seen one doesn't mean that they don't exist."

"Tea, don't worry," Yugi assured her. "There's no such thing as vampires. People just say that because everybody's afraid to go in a dark forest like this."

Joey nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Dey commup widda legen' or fantasy so's they got a 'legitimate' reasin not t' go in dea, dat's all! But I do hea dat the trees're so tall 'n' thick dat da sun can't get in. Soun's spooky, don' it?"

Tea glared at him again.

"So, what?" Yugi asked. "Do I just go in there and walk?"

"Yeah, do dat," Joey said. "I'll time ya. When five minutes've passed, I call out t' ya, and you can start walkin' back hea. Den you can dare wonna us."

Yugi shrugged. "Simple enough." He walked to the edge of the forest, and, after a deep breath, made his way in.

Joey held up his arm to look at his watch. "I'm timin' ya!"

"Be careful, Yugi!" Tea called anxiously.

* * *

Yugi walked farther into the forest, wishing he had a watch of his own in case Joey tried to cheat and make him stay in the forest longer. He kept his eyes on the ground, making sure he didn't get his feet tangled up in the exposed roots, fallen branches, low bushes, and piles of leaves and sticks that were all over the forest floor. He could barely see his feet though. 

"It's so dark in here," Yugi thought aloud, "almost like night. And it's in the middle of the afternoon." He looked up to see if he could see any part of the sky anywhere. Thick tree branches seemingly miles up in the sky blocked his view.

Yugi sighed. "I wonder if it's been five minutes?" he thought, continuing along with his hands in his pockets. "It would be just like Joey to do something like that. I'll have to ask Tea if she noticed anything suspicious when I get out of here."

Suddenly, Yugi tripped over an exposed root he hadn't seen. He fell to the ground and was shocked when he found himself rolling down an incline. Leaves and twigs flew into his face as he rolled downhill. He felt sticks scratch his hands, but his arms and legs were protected by his jacket and jeans.

Yugi landed with a painful thud and an "Oof!" He lay there for a moment, the left side of his face pressed into the dirt, trying to assess the pain. His legs hurt but not too much. And his hands were stinging from the scratches, but those weren't serious injuries. He could still walk. He rose to his knees, then his feet, brushing dirt and leaves and twigs out of his hair and off his skin and clothes.

"Darn, that hurt," Yugi grumbled. He looked up to the hill he had fallen down. "I'd better try to climb it," he said to himself.

Four unsuccessful tries later, Yugi found himself still at the bottom. "What am I going to _do_?" he sighed in frustration, rubbing his face tiredly. "I have to get back up this hill. If I don't, who knows when I'll be out of this stupid forest?"

Sighing, he stood up, preparing to try and climb the hill again. Then he heard a rustle, and he froze. Slowly he turned, hoping it was just a squirrel and not...

_Not what? _Yugi thought to himself. _A vampire? Those don't exist. Stop being crazy and find a way up that hill._

Yugi turned back to the hill. Then he heard another rustle, and it sounded too suspicious too ignore. He turned. "Is someone out there?" he called. He listened to the final syllables of his question echo off the trees, going unanswered.

"Maybe I'm just a little nervous being in this forest by myself," Yugi thought aloud. "I've got to stop letting my nerves get to me."

"_Oh, it isn't your nerves._"

Yugi's blood ran cold. He turned, slowly, looking for someone. He saw no one. "Who's there?" he called out as bravely as he could.

"_Did you know you are trespassing in my forest?_"

"I..." Yugi didn't know how to answer. The voice was deep and chilling, and it sounded very threatening.

"_A capital crime. You are going to have to pay._"

Yugi gulped. He tried to climb backwards up the hill, but he just couldn't seem to get any leverage. "Please, just leave me alone. I didn't mean any harm, I just came in here on a dare one of my friends made."

"_One of your friends is an idiot._"

_I might have to agree with that, _Yugi thought, having no choice but to stand to his feet. He remembered his proclamation to Joey. _I never back down from a challenge. _He'd have to be brave and face this one down too.

"_You foolish human, you should never have come here. You could have saved yourself by staying out, but now it's too late._"

Yugi felt fear clawing at his brain. He didn't respond. He heard another rustle, and suddenly, a figure a head taller than him landed in front of him, making him jump. It was too dark to see anything.

Except...for two glowing red eyes that scared all sane thoughts from Yugi's mind. He simply stared up at the eyes, unable to speak or move or barely breathe. He had a feeling this wasn't just some crazy person trying to scare him. "W-what..._are_ you?" he found himself saying.

He received no answer. The glowing red eyes were simply staring at him, and he felt like this figure was scrutinizing his very soul. It was a very uncomfortable feeling, and some smart thought in the back of his mind told him he should try running. But he still felt frozen in place.

"Strange," the ominous voice said. But it didn't sound nearly as threatening this time. Yugi couldn't tear his gaze away from the glowing eyes. They were so evil, in a way. Yet so beautiful. He flinched when he felt something cold touch his cheek. He realized it was fingers. _Is he touching me for some reason? _

"You look just like me," the figure said.

_I do? _Yugi wondered. _I can't see him though. _

Suddenly, the fingers left his face. Yugi had a bad feeling something he wouldn't like was about to happen. He still couldn't seem to get his legs moving so he could run away.

"You're very fortunate," the voice abruptly spoke. "Very fortunate indeed."

"I am?" Yugi found himself saying. "How? Why? I mean, what does that mean?" He was scared. Was something about to happen to him?

There was an evil-sounding chuckle. Then Yugi felt something touch the back of his head. The world around him seemed to disappear in an instant, and he lost consciousness.

**

* * *

**

KT: Well, that's the first chapter. Like? Dislike? Couldn't care less? Let me know.  
Juni: Anonymous reviews can now be given, too, so anyone who wants to say something can.


	3. Your New Life

KT: Thanks and more thanks to **Pharaoh Atemu's Angel, ladywolfTerri, AngelViper9, ailisa d. frieson, Atemu Yugi Lover34, Nayias, Mizu, CheatersBaby, KimaSan, pyromaniacgrl, ****Shire **and **YO! **for the encouraging reviews. Double thanks to **kagome-princess **for putting me on your favorite authors list, and triple thanks to **Sansi **for the tip about anonymous reviews! The mega support totally appreciated, believe me, guys.  
Taku: Why wouldn't it be?  
KT: Stop asking dumb questions.  
Juni: Anyway, here's the next chapter.

* * *

2: Your New Life 

"Joey, I am so mad at you!"

Joey sighed and massaged his temples. "Tea, I mean it, I'm real sorry. I didn' know he wasn' gonna come out!"

Tea was nearly in tears. "It's all your fault," she went on anyway. "If you hadn't dared him to go in there, he'd still be out here, and we'd still be having a good time! But because of _you_, Yugi's been in that stupid forest for two hours without anything from him, and I'm worrying to death, and all _you're_ doing is apologizing!"

"Look, Tea, gettin' all worried won't bring 'im outta dea any soona. I say we wait a few more secon's t' see if he comes out, an' if not, we go back in town an' get some help. It's dat simple," Joey reasoned. "Don' worry, Tea, I bet Yugi's fine. He's prob'ly jus' lost."

"That better be all," Tea said, whirling on Joey and going from upset to angry in an instant, "because if he's hurt or anything, I'll-I'll-I'll make you sorry, Joey Wheeler!"

* * *

Yugi's eyelids fluttered open. He was lying down, on his stomach, his face turned to one side. There was sunlight shining down on him. _Sun? Then does that mean...I'm not in the Forbidden Forest anymore? _

Yugi groaned as he slowly raised himself up on his elbows. He rubbed his eyes, still disoriented. He looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. Sitting up, it became clearer.

He was still in the forest. He was just lying in a small circular clearing that had nothing blocking out the sun or the sky above his head. Then that meant...that the vampire had brought him here. But why? What was the reason?

_"You're very fortunate. Very fortunate indeed." _

"What did he mean by that?" Yugi wondered aloud.

"I see you've awoken."

Yugi tensed when he heard that voice again. He looked over his shoulder to see that dark figure leaning against a tree on the edge of the clearing, only a few yards away from him. The red eyes were still glowing and clearly visible.

"You're a vampire, aren't you?" Yugi found himself saying. "The one from the legend that lives in this forest and kills anyone who dares to trespass."

"Yes I am," he answered.

_Then why aren't I dead yet? _Yugi wondered fearfully. Was the vampire waiting for him to wake up, so he could be killed in a slow and painful manner? But if that were the case, why didn't he just kill him when they had first met?

"You must be wondering why I haven't killed you yet," the vampire spoke up. Yugi turned around completely, not wanting his back to be to someone whose face he hadn't even seen. "In all honesty, I have every right to kill you. You've trespassed on my property, with the time-old excuse: someone dared you." The vampire pushed himself off of the tree and stood, facing Yugi. "In fact, I _should_ kill you."

Yugi gulped.

"But I'm not," the vampire went on. "I'm going to spare your life."

Yugi felt relief, but was still afraid. "You are?" he asked hopefully.

"Yes," the vampire said. "But you must still pay for trespassing."

The relief faded from Yugi's thoughts. _What does he have in mind? _he wondered fearfully.

"You will remain in this forest with me," the vampire said, "and you will not leave it. You will do everything I tell you to, until you've worked off your debt."

"You're _enslaving_ me?" Yugi cried, jumping to his feet. "You can't do that!"

"The alternative is death," the vampire replied in a chilling tone.

Yugi shrank back. _Okay, enslavement will work, _he thought. He had been relieved that the vampire was going to spare his life. But now he kind of wished the guy would just kill him. Either way, he'd never see home or his friends again. _But I don't really want to die, _Yugi told himself. _I'm only sixteen. I have my whole life ahead of me. Of course, being a slave to a vampire isn't exactly the career I had been going for, but... _

"How can I even survive here?" Yugi asked. "I need food and water, and I don't see any of that hanging off of the tree branches."

"I will take care of that," the vampire said. "You just worry about obeying me. Now. Come out of the light."

Yugi looked up at the circle of sunlight. He _really_ didn't want to leave it. _The alternative is death, _Yugi reminded himself, and he walked towards the vampire and out of the circle of light. He hoped he would get to come back, though.

The glowing red eyes watched him. Yugi was getting a little unnerved by them and looked at the nearly unseeable ground. _I don't like how he's staring at me, _he thought. That combined with the thought of being someone's slave for an indefinite period of time was kind of depressing.

Yugi was surprised when he felt fingers come underneath his chin, tilting it up and forcing him to look into those red eyes. He could read no emotion in them whatsoever, and that scared him as well. "Tell me," the voice said, "what is your name?"

"It's...Yugi," Yugi answered hesitantly.

"Hmmm," the voice said. "I see. Well, Yugi, welcome to your new home." He turned and started walking away. Yugi, not sure what to do, followed.

They walked in silence for a few moments, until the little clearing was far behind them. Yugi suddenly realized that his friends would have no idea what happened to him. He hoped they weren't worrying too much.

Then, a thought crossed his mind. When he looked back on it later, he wondered what had caused him to ask about it. He was probably trying to dispel his fear by making small talk.

"Wh-what's your name?" Yugi asked the vampire walking in front of him. "I mean, you do have a name, right?"

The vampire stopped suddenly. Yugi stopped as well, nervous. Had he said something wrong?

"I don't know when was the last time someone asked me that question," the vampire said, and he sounded almost... pleased that Yugi had asked. "But yes. I do have a name. My name is Yami."

"Oh," Yugi said, unsure of what else to say. _Yami...that means darkness, doesn't it? _He looked up at Yami's back. He wondered what the future was going to hold for him now.

* * *

"What am I supposed to do?" Yugi asked. "I mean, I know you want me to do what you say, but am I just supposed to follow you around until you come up with a command?" It was a while after Yugi had learned Yami's name, but he wasn't sure exactly how long it had been because he couldn't see the sky. 

Yami had climbed a tree and was now sitting on a low branch with his back against the main trunk, one knee bent, his arms resting on his knee, and his other leg dangling off the branch. "If I need you, I'll call for you," he said. "It isn't hard to hear me in the forest."

Yugi was standing underneath the tree, looking up at Yami. "Well, what do I do when you don't need me?" he asked. For some reason, he had grown a little more comfortable around Yami now, and he didn't really know why.

"Whatever you wish," Yami replied, staring off into space. Yugi could only tell because he could see Yami's eyes. He thought back to what Yami had said before. _You look just like me. _That was all he had to go by as to what Yami looked like. _Why do I even care? _Yugi thought suddenly. _This guy is making me his slave, just for getting lost in his forest. I shouldn't care at all what he looks like. I need to start hating him! _

_Speaking of him, what kind of chores do you do in a forest anyway?_

Above him, Yugi heard Yami let out a sigh. He looked up, wondering if something was amiss, only to jump when Yami pushed himself off of the branch and landed on his feet in front of the teenager. He looked up into Yami's red eyes.

"You know," Yami said, "I haven't had anything to drink in a long, long time."

Yugi took a step back. "Um...what?"

"The stupid humans who trespass in this forest all come to the same fate," Yami said, taking a step forward. "I kill them, and then I drink their blood. Lately things have been going more slowly, however. There aren't as many people trespassing anymore, and I'm starting to get thirsty. I'd say it's about that time again."

Yugi backed up some more, but Yami followed him, never letting the short distance between them increase.

"I spared your life, Yugi. And I told you that you would still have to pay for trespassing. You being my 'slave' as you call it, is only one of the ways I intend to make you pay your debt."

Trembling, Yugi continued to step back until he felt his back hit something. A tall tree. He was trapped. Yami came closer, placing one hand on each side of Yugi, braced against the tree, to ensure him he couldn't escape.

"Please, don't," Yugi whimpered. He had a feeling this would hurtbad.

"You have to do what I say, remember?" Yami reminded, his voice taking on a dangerous tone. Yugi watched in utter horror as fangs seemed to grow out from under his top lip, only barely visible because they were white. He wanted to back away but was out of room.

That done, Yami seized Yugi by the shoulders. Yugi reflexively tried to push him off, feeling tears come to his eyes. _Oh, God, he's going to kill me. I don't want to die. _Yugi was pulled forward, trapping his hands between his and Yami's chests, and he felt something sharp pierce his skin at the junction where his neck met his shoulder.

Yugi screamed and tried to get away. He felt the fangs sink deeper into his flesh. _It hurts so much. Please, someone make it stop. _He tried to push Yami off of him, but Yami was too strong. Yugi felt himself getting weaker and weaker, and his struggling soon diminished. His entire left side turned numb. _I'm about to die, _he thought. _I just know it._

Tears were running down Yugi's face as he lost the will and the strength to fight. He felt his legs crumple underneath him and thought he was about to collapse. Yami wrapped his arms around him, though, and held him up. The darkness of unconsciousness was closing in on Yugi for the second time that day, and he could do nothing but surrender to it.

_The alternative is death, _he heard Yami say in his mind.

And then he was gone.

Yami held Yugi's unconscious form in his arms, licking his lips. He had to admit, Yugi had some of the most delicious blood he had had in a while. It was a refreshing change to whoever wandered idiotically into the forest. The best part was, Yugi belonged to him now, so he could enjoy another snack this tasty again.

Smiling, Yami reached out with one hand and wiped away the tears that had fallen down Yugi's face. His look-alike's face was frozen in an expression of fear. Yes, he thought, this had been a good idea after all. In many ways, it had been a very, very good idea.

Yami lifted Yugi up in his arms, bridal-style, and turned to carry him back to the clearing. _Sleep as well as you can, my little one, for tomorrow is a new day._

* * *

KT: All done this time.  
Juni: Hope you enjoyed.  
KT: Please review. Oh, and by the way, I'm going on a vacation to Hawaii for two weeks, and I might not be able to update my story while I'm there. I'll do my best to get a chapter up, because I would hate to disappoint my wonderful readers. Just a heads up.  
Taku: I suppose we'll see you all next chapter, then. 


	4. The Slayer

Juni: Ta da. We managed to update.  
KT: Thanks to **Pharaoh Atemu's Angel, ladywolfTerri, xamosy, LilAznSp0nge, Shire, Yana5, harleydbabe222, pyromaniacgrl, **and **Unfortunately Freckled** for the reviews. It's really appreciated. I decided to update real quick before we leave. The plane is actually leaving tonight! I'm excited.  
Taku: As a reward for your being so nice as to review, here's another chapter from Maruka.

* * *

3: The Slayer 

Yugi awoke in the clearing for the second time. He groaned and slowly sat up. His neck hurt where it met his shoulder on his left side, and he massaged it, wincing at the pain.

_I guess I didn't die after all, _Yugi thought. His mind drifted back to the last few moments before he passed out and he shuddered. That had been so frightening. Yami had bitten him, and would no doubt bite him again the next time he got thirsty. Yugi drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, trying to get his mind off of those horrible events. _The last thing I need to think about is something like that when it's most likely going to happen again. _

Yugi looked upwards. The sky was a warm orange color. It must be morning. Yugi wished he was on the outside of this terrible forest. Better yet, he wished he had never accepted Joey's dare. Then he wouldn't be in this position. If only we'd played something else, Yugi thought, feeling tears well up. Then I'd still be living a normal, happy life, not giving a care about the legend of the Forbidden Forest. He felt the tears break and slide down his cheeks. I wish I could get out of here.

_The alternative is death, _Yami's voice came back to mind. Yugi hid his face in his arms, sadly wishing that for once he had backed down from a challenge.

"Yugi."

Yugi tensed when he heard his name being called. Reluctantly, he looked up and saw Yami, standing at the edge of the clearing, safely out of the way of the sunlight.

"Come here," Yami said.

Yugi shrank back. _Maybe if I stay in this clearing, he won't be able to get to me, _he thought, wanting some thread of hope to be able to cling to.

"You heard me."

Slowly, Yugi's head started to shake. He clutched his knees tighter and refused to move.

"Don't make me come get you."

Yugi stayed where he was.

Yami's glowing eyes darkened, and he stepped closer to a tree. He placed one hand on the side, and a section of the tree about two feet from the ground was suddenly surrounded by darkness and disintegrated. The tree, now missing some of itself, succumbed to gravity and fell forward.

Yugi felt his breath catch. It would fall on top of him. He uncurled out of his ball and dived away, the tree striking the spot he had been in moments before and landing with a loud thud. Yugi sat where he had landed, heart thumping, breathing heavily. He looked down and realized he had jumped out of the circle of sunlight. Hearing a step behind himself, Yugi jumped to his feet and whirled.

Yami was behind him.

Silence passed between them. Yugi's heart managed to calm down, and his breathing became regular again.

_The alternative is death. _

Yugi shivered. Yami didn't seem to extend a lot of patience.

"Next time I tell you to come here, I expect you to come," Yami said in a casual voice, as if commenting on the weather. "Am I clear?"

"Y-yes sir," Yugi stammered, looking down at the ground. Yami's eyes were still scary, and, since he could never see Yami through the darkness, seemed disembodied.

"You don't have to call me sir," Yami said, "so long as you do what I tell you to. Now, follow me." He turned and started walking away. Yugi, still looking at the ground, followed him silently.

They walked along in silence for a few moments. Finally, Yami stopped, and Yugi stopped behind him. "This," Yami said, "is the river. As you can see, it branches off into two sections. One you can use as a source for refreshment, and the other you can use to bathe."

Yugi looked up and saw the river. Shaped somewhat like a Y, it was several feet from bank to bank on each section.

"I will leave you to prepare for the new day," Yami stated. He turned and walked off.

Yugi looked down at the water. Thin strips of sunlight managed to push through the thick branches above and shine down on the water, making it partway possible to see. Yugi noticed that Yami had kept his distance from these streams of light.

With a sigh, Yugi got down on his knees and dipped a finger into the river. It was cold, as he had expected, but he was in dire need of some way to freshen up. He cast a glance over his shoulder, as if he could actually see much, and then took off his jacket and shoes. After a second to glance over his shoulder again, he removed the rest of his clothes. He got into the river very quickly after that.

The water was very cold, and it got pretty deep near the middle. Yugi found that the deepest the water got was up to his shoulders, which was deep for a river. He moved closer to the bank and let himself sink down into the water.

_This is nice, _Yugi thought, moving his feet around underneath the water. His right foot ran into something hard and he nearly tripped. He righted himself and slowly felt around in the water to figure out what it was.

It was a rock. A giant rock in the bottom of the river. It was pushed up against the steep side of the riverbank. He carefully made his way closer to the rock and sat down on it. The water came up to his neck now. _Makes a nice seat, _Yugi thought with a smile. It quickly faded, however, when he realized he had nothing to be happy about. _I'm stuck being the servant and source of food for a vampire, and I'm smiling over rocks in the river. I must be crazy. _

A few minutes later, Yugi climbed out of the river and dried himself off as best he could with his jacket. He put the rest of his clothes back on, including his shoes, and draped his now wet jacket over his arm._ I wonder if he has any towels?_ Yugi thought. He rolled his eyes at the stupidity of the remark.

Looking around, Yugi sighed. He had finished with the "bath" now; what was he to do? Go find Yami and ask for a chore? He glanced to his left. The better idea would be to find a way out of this forest and back home. But he had no idea how deep he was in the forest, or which way would get him out and home. Besides, Yami would be sure to catch him before he could make but so much progress, and who knows what would happen then?

Yugi sighed and sat down on a tree stump. "I'm just screwed all around," he admitted to himself sadly. He hung his jacket on a low branch near him and rubbed his eyes.

"You must be Yugi Moto."

Yugi jumped and stood to his feet, startled. He whirled around to find out who was talking to him.

"Relax. I'm not another vampire."

"Who are you then?" Yugi asked, still looking around.

A dim flashlight came on. Yugi was nearly blinded by the light, however. He squinted and held up a hand to shield his eyes. "I'm your savior, kid," the voice replied.

"How do I know that?" Yugi countered, slowly getting his eyes adjusted to the light. "Let me see you."

The beam of light turned backwards to shine on a face. Ice blue eyes stared at him from underneath brown bangs. The guy had a practiced scowl on his face.

"I'm Seto Kaiba," the guy said. "And you're Yugi Moto, correct?"

Yugi nodded. "Yeah, that's me," he said, lowering his hand. "Why are you here?" he asked.

"To destroy the vampire that lives here."

Yugi's eyes widened. "You mean, Yami?"

"Yami?" Seto's eyes narrowed. Then he smirked. "So, I finally caught up to my old enemy. What luck. Tell me where he is."

"I don't know," Yugi answered truthfully. "He just left me here. How did you know who I was, anyway?"

"Domino Town is in an uproar about your disappearance," Seto explained. "They've wanted to send search parties, but everyone's afraid of this forest and its legend. They all believe you were kidnapped by a vampire. And they would be right." His smirk returned. "I happen to be one of the best vampire slayers in the business, and I came across this place by accident. However, I'm glad I did come, for Yami and I go back a long way. I'll finally get the chance to destroy him once and for all. And you, Yugi, are going to help me do that."

Yugi took a step back. "Me?" he repeated. "What can I do? I told you I don't know where he is."

"But he knows where you are," Seto answered. "And he'll most likely come back to get you. I see his mark on your neck. You've already fallen victim to one of his feeding sessions. The fact that you're still alive means he wants to use you again for that same purpose." He took a step forward. "You two look a lot alike, by the way."

"Yes, I know," a third voice suddenly spoke from above. "That was one of the reasons I decided to keep him."

Yugi heard something land behind him, and before he could turn to see who or what it was, he felt an arm circle around his waist. The ground suddenly fell away under his feet, and wind blew down on him. It took him a moment to realize that Yami had grabbed him and was now taking him up into the air, away from Seto Kaiba. He felt his feet land on a branch as easily as though he had done it himself.

Seto shone the flashlight up into the tree, and Yugi took the opportunity to look up and see Yami. He suppressed a gasp when he realized that both Seto and Yami were _right_. Except for the glowing red eyes, pale skin, and visible fangs, Yami looked like an older version of Yugi. His gaze was currently fixed on Seto Kaiba, and both were wearing smirks.

"Well, if it isn't my old friend Seto Kaiba," Yami said. "I hadn't thought I'd see you again for a long time. Our encounter in Egypt seemed to have knocked you down for the count."

"You know I bounce right back," Seto replied, still shining light up into the tree. "I hope you know what chaos you've caused in Domino Town by kidnapping this boy."

"Mmmm, chaos. One of my favorite words," Yami sneered. "I'm afraid I won't be giving him back, though. He belongs to me now, and I like him too much."

Seto snorted. "Isn't that sweet," he said contemptuously. "I've known you for a while, Yami, and you've only had two pets since. This would be your third?"

Yami's eyelids dropped halfway. "So what the hell if it is?" he retorted. "Do _you_ want him?"

"I don't give a rat's ass about him," Seto answered. "I just want to kill you." He pulled something shiny from the satchel over his shoulder and cocked it.

Listening to the conversation, Yugi felt sick. This Seto Kaiba guy sounded as inhuman as Yami. The only problem now was to figure out which was the greater of two evils. Yugi saw the gun pointed at them both and shuddered involuntarily. He noticed then that Yami's arm was still around his waist.

"Are you ready for another game, leech?" Seto asked.

"I'm always ready, asshole," Yami shot back.

Seto smirked. "We'll see." He fired the gun. Yugi only saw the flash of light. He felt Yami's arm tighten around his waist, and suddenly they were in mid-air again. Yugi was nearly sick from the feeling of flying through the air, and he clutched Yami's jacket. His neck started to throb again.

Yugi heard the sound of more gunshots as Yami kept leaping from branch to branch on different trees, traveling rather quickly to Yugi's tastes. He kept a firm grip on Yami's jacket, feeling that plummeting to his death, and smacking several branches on the way down, was less favorable than having to be this close to a vampire. But something told him that wasn't the _only_ reason he was holding on so tightly to something Yami was wearing.

_Hello, let's focus here! _Yugi reminded himself. His legs were swinging free in the wind as Yami continued to travel. Fortunately, his were shorter than the vampire's, so they weren't hitting much.

Yugi heard a gunshot close by and flinched. He peeked over Yami's shoulder and was shocked to see that Seto was leaping along in the trees with them, with almost the same grace and capability as Yami. _How does he _do_ that? _Yugi wondered.

Seto fired again. Directly in front of them, a large branch broke and fell, leaving a rather good-sized hole for the sun to shine through. Yami hissed and suddenly dived down, trying to avoid the sunlight. He grabbed a branch only a few feet away from the ground and used it to slow his descent. He dropped to the ground and started running, giving the pillar of sunlight a wide berth.

Yugi looked up ahead and saw that they were headed for the little clearing. Before he could ask why, Yami released his waist and let him drop. As soon as his feet hit the ground, Yami shoved him into the clearing. The sun had come up, and it was shining brightly. Yugi stumbled but kept himself from falling and turned to Yami.

"Stay there," Yami ordered. "Don't leave this clearing until I come back." He turned and took off into the forest.

Standing where he was, Yugi watched Yami's form quickly vanish into the darkness. A moment later, Seto landed where Yami had been and turned to face Yugi. He smirked. "I see Yami remembers my tactics well. You're lucky it's so late in the day, kid, and that's all I'll say." He turned and darted off in the direction that Yami had gone.

Yugi watched him go. What did that mean? Was he planning to do something to him? And if so, and Yami knew, had Yami been protecting him somehow? Yugi scratched his head, confused. But he stayed in the clearing.

**

* * *

**

Taku: Well, the chapter is done and doner.  
KT: It couldn't have been funner. But anyway, I found a floppy disk under my bed and copied all my already written chapters in it. So, I will be able to update in Hawaii. But it'll probably be a week before you hear from me, only because I want to enjoy the sights before I get back to business. And when I get back, I'm starting another story. It'll be fun.  
Juni: She's taking us. (grin)  
Taku: (is wearing shirt with 'I Luv Hawaii' on it) I must pack.  
KT: You aren't packed? (sweatdrop) The plane's leaving tonight, dummy.

* * *

Pharaoh Atemu's Angel-Yeah, so do I, poor Yugi is right. I plan to have much fun, thanks. 

ladywolfTerri-Somehow I get pleasure from scaring Yugi...hmm. I hope to have fun in Hawaii as well, and I promise I'll do my best to update for you guys.

xamosy-Glad you like it. I hope you won't have to stretch your patience too far (but you know how life makes you forget stuff)

LilAznSp0nge-Cute penname. Yugi...torture...they aren't supposed to mix. But it's fun to read, isn't it?

Shire-(grins) Why, thank you. I appreciate your compliments.

Yana5-I'm glad you like the story. Can't tell you what happens to poor Yugi, though. You'll have to keep reading to find out.

harleydbabe222-Glad you like it. I aim to please, of course.

pyromaniacgrl-I'm very glad the suspense is good enough for you. That was my goal, after all. Even though an evil Yami isn't the greatest thing in the world, it makes him hotter. Yeah, I'm kinda nuts over the guy. Thanks for the compliments.

Unfortunately Freckled-That is a really inventive penname. I have a few freckles myself over my nose, but they're hard to see. Anyway, thank you for the awesome compliments. Good Yami/Yugi is unfortunately hard to find, so I'm glad you like mine. Well, I don't want to deprive you, so I'll do what I can for updates.


	5. Is It Me?

KT: Hello again, my beloved readers. It's me, here with another chapter from the beautiful island of Maui. It's pretty warm here (grin) but in a week I'll be headed back to chilly old US.  
Taku: (is sipping on tropical punch)  
KT: Anyway, big thanks to **ladywolfTerri, Pharaoh Atemu's Angel, Yana5, Atemu Yugi Lover34, JitsaruJakara, pyromaniacgrl, xamosy, UsagiLovesDuochan, LilAznSp0nge, Mizu, Dudette person thingy girl, **and **Higuchimon** for reviewing, and a double-sized thanks to **JitsaruJakara, Atemu Yugi Lover34, **and **card captor purin** for putting me on your favorite authors list. I'm so happy because my story is so much more popular than I thought it would be! It makes me so happy.  
Juni: Can we get to the chapter, please?  
KT: Oh, sorry. Sure.

* * *

4: Is It Me? 

The sunlight shining into the clearing was getting dimmer when Yugi heard a step to his left. He looked up, seeing Yami's red eyes at the edge of the clearing once again. But now he had a face to put with them, even though he currently couldn't see it.

"Come here," Yami said. This time, instead of waiting for the tree to fall, Yugi got up and walked out of the clearing and to Yami.

"What happened?" Yugi asked. "Where did Seto Kaiba go?"

"He ran out of bullets," Yami said with a smirk. "And I broke his leg. He thinks he's going to come back."

"He stopped and talked to me before he went after you," Yugi said. "When you left me in the clearing. He said something about me being lucky it was so late in the day, but I didn't know what he meant."

Yami snorted. "The bastard is half-vampire," he said. "He can be out during the day, but not when the sun is high in the sky, during the afternoon." He narrowed his eyes. "He has an annoying habit of murdering anyone connected to me, in order to catch me off-guard. It was probably his intent to do the same to you."

Yugi shivered. Then he was most happy that Yami had left him in the clearing, so Seto couldn't get to him and kill him. "No wonder he seemed so evil," he said to himself. "He's half vampire." He felt eyes on him and looked up to see Yami staring at him. "Oh, um, sorry," he said quickly, lowering his head.

"I don't mind," Yami replied, "especially if it's true." That spurred an evil chuckle from him. Yugi found himself thinking that he had a nice laugh. He mentally smacked himself. _Are you nuts? This dude is not someone to be admired for any trait! _

"I have something for you," Yami said. Yugi looked up, suddenly nervous. "It's not poisonous, if that's what you were wondering," he went on. Something underneath his eyes glinted.

Yugi's eyes were drawn to the silver sparkle. "What is it?" he asked.

"A present." He could sense that Yami was close to his face, and then he felt something wrap around his wrist. There was a click at the base of his wrist, were Yami's fingers rested.

_An identification item, _Yugi thought immediately. _Like I'm some pet. _"What is it for?" he asked aloud.

"Something to remind you who you belong to," Yami replied. One of his hands left Yugi's wrist, and a moment later Yugi felt fingers touching his cheek. "And that would be me."

Yugi's mind was suddenly drawn back to when Yami had bitten him, and he shivered at the feeling of Yami touching him again. But he also felt a strange sensation because of it, as if he liked it that Yami had touched his face. _But that's ridiculous, _Yugi told himself. _Why would I want him touching me? _He didn't know what to think.

Before another moment could pass, Yugi suddenly felt a sharp pain flare up in his left leg. He winced and nearly fell over. But he couldn't stop himself from falling down on one knee. The pain started to spread up to his hip. "Oh my...gosh... what's wrong with me?"

Yami came down with him. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"My leg...something's up," Yugi said, gritting his teeth as the pain intensified.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Yami said, as if to himself. Yugi felt him pull up the hem of his pant leg, and then he heard an intake of air. "I thought so. That asshole was one step ahead of me." His red eyes turned back to Yugi. "I'm going to have to knock you out."

Yugi gasped. "Knock me out! Why?" he exclaimed.

"I'll tell you later," Yami said. Yugi felt him touch the back of his head, and, once again, he lost consciousness.

**

* * *

**

Yugi returned to reality slowly. His left leg, the one that had been hurting, was stiff and numb. His head was in someone's lap. There was a strange metallic scent in the air, and somewhere nearby, Yugi heard running water.

_Must not be heaven, _Yugi thought. He was about to try and get up, but then he heard Yami's voice. It was close enough for Yugi to realize that his head was in Yami's lap. For some reason, he felt himself starting to blush. _Is it me, or am I acting like a total weirdo for some reason? _But in the back of his mind, there was an annoying little something that told him he knew exactly why he was acting the way he was. But the rest of his mind told him that that was completely impossible.

"You wouldn't believe how lonely it's been here," Yami said. Then he laughed, but it was a laugh with no humor in it. "I assumed I needed no one. Perhaps I was...wrong."

Yugi stayed still, hoping to hear more, and at the same time wondering why he even cared.

"I don't know why I even kept you," Yami spoke again. "I should have killed you, like any other pathetic human. But for some reason, I didn't. I couldn't. And that's ridiculous. There is only one reason I can think of that would stop me from doing what's instinct, but it's impossible." There was a heavy sigh. "And even if I _did_ love you, you would never love me back."

Yugi was shocked out of his skin. It was impossible! Was Yami actually _attracted_ to him by some degree? The thought was almost laughable. He was an evil vampire, and Yugi was a defenseless human. It was the worst possible couple in the entire universe.

But could it be possible? Could it be true that the feelings he was trying to suppress were feelings for Yami?

_How could I possibly care in any way about him? _Yugi thought. _I mean, he took me away from the only life I've ever known and declared me his slave. He hasn't been all _that_ nice to me. Why would I like him at all? _

He considered. If he was completely honest with himself, if he refused to try and hide any thoughts, no matter how ridiculous they seemed, he had to admit...maybe he _was _attracted to Yami to some extent. Yugi heaved a sigh and slowly sat up, pretending he had just become conscious again.

"I see you're awake," Yami said.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so," Yugi said, still wondering about what he had heard and what he had confessed to himself. "Why did you have to knock me out?"

"If I had left you conscious, you would have done a lot of screaming from pain," Yami replied.

Yugi blinked. "Oh." He considered for a moment. "What did Seto Kaiba hit me with?"

"It was a bullet filled with shadow poison," Yami answered. "It grazed your leg, so you didn't get a lethal dose, but it was bad enough. I had to purge your system with my own shadows."

"Um, I don't get it," Yugi said. "What shadows are you talking about?"

"Both Kaiba and I have command and control over a good percentage of the shadows around us," Yami explained. "It's one of the ways I keep my forest so dark in order to protect myself. At times the shadows can even be used as weapons, as I explained earlier. It's one of the perks of being a vampire." Yami smirked, and then he stood up.

"Oh," Yugi said. _That sounds kinda weird. _He suddenly noticed that Yami was leaving. "Hey, where are you going?"

"I have some...business to attend to," Yami offered as he continued to walk away. Yugi realized that he could actually see Yami's silhouette and the silhouettes of close trees now, instead of just nothing but darkness in front of his face.

"Business?" Yugi repeated, watching him go. "But what do I do then?"

Yami didn't reply. He seemed to be too far away. Yugi watched him until his silhouette was no longer distinguishable from the surrounding darkness.

Yugi sighed and sat back down. "Well, now what?" he asked himself, pulling his legs into a crosslegged position and resting his arms on his knees. "Just sit here and wait for him?"

Silence. Yugi didn't expect an answer anyway. He rested his chin in his hands and glanced around disinterestedly. His mind wasn't really on the minimal amount of items he could see, anyway. Rather, it was on what he had heard Yami say.

_Is it really possible that Yami's interested in me? _Yugi wondered. _And is it possible I feel the same way about him? It just seems so...so..._im_possible! I mean, me! Interested in him! It just can't be. It's-it's not going to happen. _

Yugi sat silently for a while, eyes unfocused. It was strange how there weren't any animal noises in the forest. Maybe they were all afraid of Yami, or maybe he was using his magical shadows powers-however they worked-to keep them out. Yugi heard a rumbling noise suddenly and patted his empty stomach as if to make up for the lack of food. "I know, tummy. I'm hungry too," he said with a sigh.

**

* * *

**

KT: And the romance begins.  
Taku: I hate romance.  
Juni: Of course you do. You're a stupid male.  
Taku: Did you just say stupid...? (pissed)  
KT: Guys, cut it out.

* * *

ladywolfTerri: I am so glad an update excites you so! Poor Yugi's so confused about how he feels about Yami. What will our adorable hero do? It's up to me...ahem, but I won't abuse that power or anything. 

Pharaoh Atemu's Angel: I'm glad you like it so much. Perfect...what a killer compliment. I plan to enjoy my final week in Hawaii (does three seconds hula dance)

Yana5: No, I don't think so, I really don't like any Yaoi pairs except Yami/Yugi. Besides, looking over the content of a later chapter, I don't think that could work. I'm sorry if that disappoints you.

Atemu Yugi Lover34: Seto trying to kill Yami...yes, quite lovely indeed. Especially when my sick mind conjures up the fight scenes (grin) Thank you VERY much for adding me to your favorites list, too.

JitsaruJakara: Hahaha, indeed. (grin)

pyromaniacgrl: You were right about Seto. Good intuition. Nope, never read Helsing. If this Alucard person is anything like Seto in this story, then I wouldn't want to meet the guy at any time of day.

xamosy: Haha, fast. This is the longest it's taken for me to update. (grin) Seto and his mysterious ways. I have enjoyed myself thoroughly, which is why this chapter contains no blood. (sweatdrop)

UsagiLovesDuochan: Wow, what a long review. (happy grin) But I don't mind! It looks like the Yami/Yugi starts in this chapter. Yeah, poor Joey and Tea. Joey must feel like an ass now. We'll see what the later chapters hold in store for them...

Yes, I will continue with this story. I have no plans to drop off the face of the earth anytime soon. I hate it when authors suddenly disappear, too. Fortunately, none of my really favorite stories have that problem, at least as of yet. So, yeah, don't worry. If there ever are good reasons for me to have a long pause between chapters, I usually give my lovely reviewers a heads up.

Oh, yes, why thank you for asking. I actually hopped online yesterday and joined. Yes, I joined. The address didn't show up in the review, so I looked in your URL. I spent half the night looking at the pictures, though (grin)

Hope you enjoy the chapter.

LilAznSp0nge: You're welcome (grin) Yep, Yugi and torture are very fun to watch. Even more fun to read. Poor thing, suffering for our enjoyment... (bigger grin)

Mizu: Missed ya last chapter. Glad to see you enjoyed the chapter.

Dudette person thingy girl: Catchy name. I'm glad you like my story. Don't rush me now, or you'll get a misspelled one-liner for a chapter. (grin)

Higuchimon: Is your penname a Digimon? Just curious.

I'm glad you think you like it. It's true, a lot of people seem to like bashing Tea/Anzu. I don't really see why, though. It's not like she's a bad character or anything. I personally have nothing against her.

I'm sorry about Joey's accent. I would have done it very lightly or not at all, but I watched an episode of Yu-Gi-Oh with closed captioning a couple of days before posting the prologue, and, well, the rest is history. I can fix it, though. No worries.


	6. Among The Dead

KT: Welp, I'm back in the US with another chapter.  
Taku: The vacation was fun.  
Juni: I got a souvenir.  
KT: _Muchas gracias _to **Yana5, chibi neko doll, ladywolfTerri, Loneshadow, xamosy, pyromaniacgrl, Mizu, Aki, Unfortunately Freckled, LilAznSp0nge, Higuchimon, aquastar bluemoon, Atemu Yugi Lover34, Ann, **and **citizencobalt the 1st**! I appreciate the support. It freakin' rocks my socks. Anyway, let's get to the reward for all your niceness and reviewing.

* * *

5: Among The Dead 

Yugi remained where he was, hoping Yami would come back. Even though he was pretty sure this forest was empty except for the two of them, sitting around in the dark by himself was just a little scary.

While sitting on the ground, Yugi thought he saw a speck of light. Curious, he looked in the direction it had come from. Moments later, he saw it again, only closer and larger. He stood up and walked towards it.

The dot of light was moving erratically, moving up and down and wobbling from time to time. Yugi parted a few branches and realized that it must be a flashlight.

"Who's out there?" Yugi asked.

"Woah-yaaah!" an unfamiliar voice cried. The flashlight swung towards Yugi's face, and Yugi had to squint. "Who is that? Show yourself, you damn evil vampire!"

Yugi stepped through the bushes and into the clearing. The moon was shining down, illuminating things somewhat. "Um, I'm not a vampire," he said.

"Eh?" The flashlight was aimed at him once again, and Yugi had to nearly shut his eyes completely. Being in perpetual darkness almost all the time had made his eyes become unused to artificial light. "Oh! Uh, sorry kid, thought you were a vampire. But what the hell are you doing out here anyway?"

Yugi managed to peer past the light and saw a tall person looking at him. "I could ask you that same question," he replied. "Don't you know it's dangerous in this forest? A vampire lives here, and if he finds you, he's going to kill you."

"How do you know this, kid?" the guy demanded.

"I'd rather not go into it," Yugi said. "I suggest you just get out of here."

There was a snort. "Did Tristan set you up to do this?"

"No, I don't know any Tristan," Yugi told him.

"Oh, come on!" the guy said. "This has to be some gag! There's no such thing as vamps!" The guy started swinging the beam of light in all directions. "All right Tristan, come out, wherever you are! This was a real funny trick, but you should know better than to try and con Duke Devlin!"

"This isn't a trick!" Yugi exclaimed. He grabbed the flashlight. "There's a real vampire in this forest, and unless you want to become a bloodless corpse, you had better get out of here now!"

Duke Devlin looked at him. "You're really serious, aren't you?" he said. "You think there's a vampire in this forest, don't you? Are you lost or something? Maybe being alone for a while got to your head..."

Yugi sighed impatiently. "Please, you have to believe me. You're in danger and you've gotta get out of here!"

Duke started to laugh. "Nice try," he said, snatching his flashlight back. "But I know there's no such thing as-"

They both heard a snap and turned. Duke aimed the beam of light at the thick cluster of trees to their right. "That's you, isn't it Tristan!" he yelled.

Footsteps came their way. Yugi knew who it was and turned to make one last plea to Duke. "Please, just run," he said to him.

"It's just Tristan," Duke said. "Trying to scare me. Nice try, Mr. Spooky, but I'm not falling for your gags or your ignorant sidekick's supposed warnings anymore!" He pointed the flashlight's beam at where "Tristan" would come out of the trees. But the figure shown in the light wasn't Tristan by a long shot.

Duke's eyes widened, and he nearly dropped the flashlight. "You-you're another of Tristan's friends, aren't you?" he accused, trying to sound brave. "You're trying to scare me!"

"Unfortunately for you," Yami said, "that is not who I am." He was wearing a smirk, and his eyes were glowing, even in the light. His fangs were visible and gleamed.

"Well...then...you do you think you are?" Duke challenged.

Yami stepped forward. "I, am the one about to kill you." He took another step forward and snatched the flashlight from Duke, breaking it in half in his bare hand.

Duke started to back away. "This isn't funny anymore!" he cried. "Just leave me the hell alone, pal!"

"If you had wanted me to do that, you should have stayed out of my forest," Yami told him. "You have trespassed, and for that, you will pay with your life." Suddenly, he rushed forward and grabbed Duke around the neck, slamming him up against a nearby tree. Any screams Duke had been planning to make were lost as all the air was shoved out of his lungs.

"Yami, please, let him go," Yugi pleaded.

Yami raised Duke up into the air by his neck. "No one trespasses without paying a price," he reminded Yugi. He raised his free hand, and his nails lengthened into claws. Duke was trying to recover his lost air while attempting to loosen Yami's iron grip on his throat.

Yugi's eyes widened as he watched Yami tear open Duke's chest with his claws. Somehow, he couldn't force himself to look away. Duke managed an anguished cry before Yami twisted his neck. Blood was pouring like a fountain out of the open hole that once been Duke's chest.

_That's... _Yugi's mind was as shocked as the rest of him. _That's... _He slowly started to back away. _That's so evil... _He continued to back away, faster and faster. Then he finally turned and broke into a run. The image of Yami murdering an innocent person was firmly engrained in his mind, and it terrified him. _To think that I actually entertained the thought that I might actually love someone like him! _Yugi thought as he ran. _I can't believe myself. I've got to get out of here. No matter what the cost. _

Yami glanced over and saw that Yugi had bolted. "Oh, shit," he growled. He dropped the bloody body on the ground and followed the boy.

_"The alternative is death."_ Yami's chilling voice came back to Yugi. He felt like he was going to be sick again. Would Yami kill him like he had killed Duke Devlin? Would he tear open his chest and then wring his neck? Or would he do something even more inhumane?

Yugi found himself running through a different clearing with the moonlight shining into it. He tripped over something sticking out of the ground and fell. His head collided with something cold and smooth.

Stunned, Yugi laid there for a few seconds, his mind completely going blank on what he was doing. When he remembered, he sat up, preparing to get to his feet and run again. He rubbed the sore spot on his forehead, and his eyes fell on what his head had hit.

His breath caught in his throat and he reeled backwards, barely able to catch himself before crashing to the ground again. He managed to get to his feet, but was on the verge of hyperventilating. His horror grew when he realized that he was surrounded by them.

Human skeletons.

_They're...they must all be Yami's victims, _Yugi thought dimly through the million emotions screaming at him. They were everywhere, littered all over the clearing, in no particular order. They all had tattered clothing hanging off of them.

Yugi thought he was going to pass out. A rational thought managed to push through his near hysteria and told him to walk out of the field as calmly as possible. He took a shaky step forward, and then jumped back when he heard a brittle bone crunch underneath his sneaker.

_Forget walking calmly. Just get out of here! _Yugi's mind yelled at him. He took a step forward again, and then another, and another, until he was finally walking. He could barely hold himself up. His eyes kept getting drawn back to the skeletons he tried to avoid stepping on, even though he didn't want to look at them. From the remnants of their clothes, Yugi thought he saw what looked like fashions from the 80's, the 70's, and even farther back than that on some of them. Some skeletons had jewelry on. Some had fake hair bunched around their heads. One or two even had rusted braces on their teeth.

Yugi began to walk faster and faster. He broke into a run and made a beeline the for the edge of the field, no longer caring if he stepped on bones. He stumbled several times but kept himself from falling. He feared if he fell he wouldn't have the strength to get up.

_The alternative is death. _Yami's voice was still haunting him. He thought of poor Duke Devlin. _What if Yami decides to kill me? Then I'll probably end up as another skeleton in this field. _Yugi felt tears brimming in his eyes. _Please, don't let that happen to me! _

Yugi was running as fast as he ever had. He made it out of the clearing, tripped over an exposed root only a few yards out, and collapsed in a shaking heap. Tears ran down his face in continual streams. "Please, don't let him kill me," Yugi said in a breaking voice. "I don't want to die."

He laid there for he didn't know how long, shaking and crying. He couldn't seem to find the strength to do anything else. He was so afraid. And he felt so alone. After a while, he realized he couldn't just lie there. He had to get up and do _some_thing. Even if all he did was stand to his feet and continue crying.

Yugi braced his hands against the ground and tried to push himself up. He was so exhausted from running and crying, however, that he couldn't seem to do it. His arms buckled and he thought he would fall. He managed to get himself up on his elbows, tears still running down his face, but he was struggling to sit up.

Then, suddenly, he felt two hands gently grip his arms and help him sit up. He was 99.9 percent sure he knew who it was, but he no longer cared. He was too tired to dredge up the fear and disgust that had been driving him before.

The hands gripped his arms a little more tightly, and he was helped to his feet. His legs buckled underneath his weight, but he remained standing. He brushed the tears off his face and looked up to confirm the identity of his helper.

"I take it you saw the field," Yami said. His voice wasn't nearly as evil-sounding as it normally was, and his eyes looked softer.

Yugi didn't trust himself to speak, so he just nodded.

"You think that you'll end up there."

Yugi nodded again. He looked down at the ground, suddenly afraid to meet Yami's eyes. "Please," he found himself pleading, "please, don't...kill me." More tears began to well up in his eyes. "I'll do anything you say, but please...don't kill me..."

There was silence. Yugi was afraid to look up. His tears broke and slid down his cheeks, and he didn't wipe them off. He was surprised when he suddenly found himself pulled into an embrace. He rested his forehead on Yami's chest and felt oddly comforted.

"I wouldn't kill you," Yami said. "I..._couldn't _kill you. What you saw is merely something that occurs as part of my survival. I drink blood to survive. Therefore, I usually kill the supplier to make it easier to acquire blood. I regret that you had to see it, however, as it obviously upset you."

Yugi was surprised. "You...regret it?"

"Yes." Yami's grip around him tightened slightly. "I never wanted to hurt you."

Yugi considered. "If you didn't want to hurt me, then why did you bite me?" he asked, still not looking up.

"That was a necessity," Yami replied. "I would have preferred doing it painlessly, but it was too soon for that. I can prove to you now, that I don't wish to hurt you."

"How?" Yugi asked.

"Let me bite you again."

**

* * *

**

Taku: Looks like a cliffhanger.  
Juni: You mean how she ended the chapter on a suspenseful note?  
Taku: (sweatdrop) Uh, yeah, hence the name "cliffhanger"  
Juni: How would I know? I never read one of these kinds of things.  
KT: Hope you review. Even better, hope you come back. Next chapter some real Yaoi ought to start, and I'm sure that's what you've been waiting for. I won't disappoint you, so show up next time.

* * *

Yana5: I'm glad we agree on Yugi/Yami then. Poor Yugi, he's so confused about his feelings. But that makes the story more exciting, now doesn't it? 

chibi neko doll: You have the cutest penname X3. Yugi's confusion is fun to watch, though, isn't it? But I don't want to drag it out forever. I read a story like that once where he stayed confused about his feelings for Yami until, like, the last chapter. And there were 20 chapters. It drove me nuts. I'll try to keep it from becoming too long. (puts hand over heart) I swear to use the full potential of this story to my and your advantage!

ladywolfTerri: Yep, now Yugi knows what kind of a creep Seto is. That's funny. When I think of things heating up between Yami and Yugi, I think "YUM!" too. I had a blast, believe me. And I have a new Hawaiian pen pal. But I can't forget you fine people, of course.

Loneshadow: (giggles) "Milady" (curtsies) Why, thank you. I don't mind your insanity. If I did, you think I'd have those two nuts in the A/N's around? But anyway. Yes, I love vampire stories too, as well as angel/demon, but I think I prefer Yami/Yugi over any other pair. They're my favorite characters.

xamosy: I'm VERY happy my story was able to lift your bad mood (grin) I live to serve. Yes, Seto is evil...and he isn't gone for good, either. I likes a possessive Yami too. I wish he'd put a bracelet thing on my wrist and claim ME (wicked fantasy)

pyromaniacgrl: ...(stares)...O.O...No way...I'm not kidding now, but you almost exactly described what Seto is like in this story. Wow, that's freaky. And I've never even seen this Alucard guy or anything. But, uh...well, that's freakily coincidental, wouldn't you say?

I'm so glad you like my story. That's what I want from the people who read it. You make me happy.

Mizu: I'm glad you like it. Of course I'll write more. I'd hate to disappoint you guys.

Aki: I'm so glad you enjoy it. You can bet I'll continue.

Unfortunately Freckled: Don't worry, I get the sentence (grin) Yeah, I liked having Yami in the dark. Made him all mysterious and even more sexy. But you know, even though Yugi doesn't know it, his eyes are adjusting more to the darkness in the forest, so sooner or later, he'll be able to see Yami all the time.

The part where Yami's confessing his feelings to a supposedly sleeping Yugi was hard to write, because I didn't want to make the scene too sappy. Oh, and "hay i'm tottally awesomely not confessing my love to your sleeping form" that cracked me up. Imagine Yami actually saying that to Yugi when he woke up.

Enjoy your coconut gum.

LilAznSp0nge: (guffaws) Yeah, I always get "Yugi must suffer!" and "poor Yugi! We must go save him!" mixed up. You terrible thing you, wanting little Yugi to suffer! Just kidding. Glad Ed loves Maruka's story. Maruka aims to please. Don't I, Maruka? Why, yes I do. (cough) Ignore that.

Higuchimon: Wow. Long review.

Glad to know I was right about the Digimon thing. It occurred to me later that if I was wrong, you might be offended.

Actually, I don't really care who Anzu gets, because I don't really care about her. I don't hate her or bash her like a lot of other people, but I don't adore her like I do Yugi and Yami. If she had to have somebody, I'd probably give her Joey or maybe Seto.

I read the way I wrote Joey's accent, and I probably overdid it some. Joey's accent doesn't really bug me, it's just weird that it doesn't appear he grew up in New York, yet he has a New York accent. Next time he's in the story, I'll lighten it up a little.

Thanks for the long review (grin)

aquastar bluemoon: I'm glad you like it. Yes, people who write a good story and disappear in the middle piss me off too. Usually they don't even have a good excuse. I won't do that, though. Promise.

If you like stories where Yugi is the dominant-type person then I have a recommendation for you. It's not a vampire fic, it's a demon/human fic, but it's just as good. It's called "A Game Of Masques" and I believe it's under my favorite stories list, so check that out if you will. And if you do and you review it, tell the author(ess) I recommended it (grin)

Atemu Yugi Lover34: Once again, I appreciate you adding me to your faves list. Yami's liked Yugi from the start, and he openly admits it, at least when he thinks Yugi's asleep, but Yugi's still confused about how he feels. A very tumultuous mix.

It makes me wonder what other stuff you think I could do with this story. Statements like that always make me wonder. But I hope the direction I go in will be good for you.

Ann: I'm glad you like my story. I like vampire stories, too. I like the "invisible Yami in the forest" element to the story. It makes him more mysterious. And sexy (grin) But who knew he'd ever spare a human's life, much less fall for them? Ah, the befuddlement of love.

citizencobalt the 1st: I'm glad you think so. Hope you continue to read.


	7. Kiss And Tell

Taku: They came back.  
KT: Good. Then let's continue.  
Juni: Now we dispel the evil cliffhanger which had people threatening and cursing us.  
KT: (sweatdrop) All in a day's work. Thanks to **Yana5, Pharaoh Atemu's Angel, ladywolfTerri, UsagiLovesDuochan, harleydbabe222, xamosy, Mizu, Shire, Masami Mistress Of Fire, Angel's Charm, Atemu Yugi Lover34, pharaohs-slave, pyromaniacgrl, Triana2, LilAznSp0nge, **and **Dark Angel Of Fire Ice** for reviewing, and a giant sugar cookie to **Dark Angel Of Fire Ice, pharaohs-slave, harleydbabe222, **and **Triana2 **for adding me to your favorites list.  
Taku: Can we move on to the chapter already?  
KT: Shut up, Harley Boy.

**

* * *

**

(last time)

Yugi considered. "If you didn't want to hurt me, then why did you bite me?" he asked, still not looking up.

"That was a necessity," Yami replied. "I would have preferred doing it painlessly, but it was too soon for that. I can prove to you now, that I don't wish to hurt you."

"How?" Yugi asked.

"Let me bite you again."

**

* * *

**

6: Kiss And Tell

Yugi stiffened. Willingly stand there and let Yami sink his fangs into him again? His first thought was to say no. But if Yami really wanted to bite him again, how well did he think he could resist? Yami was incredibly strong. Maybe if he went along with it, Yami would be nicer about it.

_You know that isn't the only reason you're going to let him bite you, _Yugi's mind told him.

_Shut up! _Yugi snapped back.

"Well...I...guess so," Yugi finally agreed, still reluctant about it. He didn't feel like he had much of a choice anyway. _I don't see what difference it'll make, whether I agree to it or not. _

He heard a sigh of what sounded like relief from Yami. The arms around him loosened slightly, and one fell away. "Then just remain still and let me do everything," Yami instructed. Yugi felt the vampire's fingers underneath his chin, which tilted it up, forcing him to look into Yami's eyes.

Yami actually felt a little excitement about being able to taste Yugi's blood again. After Yugi had run off, he had abandoned the trespassing human's body to go after him and ensure that he didn't get himself hurt. This meant that he was still thirsty. The fact that Yugi had agreed to it was good news, he felt, for them both.

Yugi watched Yami's eyes warily. _I wonder what he could be thinking? _he thought. He found himself thinking that Yami had gorgeous eyes. And the few times he had seen Yami in the light, he had to admit, he looked good. _Okay, so why am I thinking these thoughts now? _he thought. _Maybe because I've stopped trying to convince myself that being attracted to Yami isn't possible. But if it is, what happens then? _

If Yugi tried hard enough, he thought he could almost see Yami's face in the minimal light. The crimson-colored eyes seemed to hypnotize him, and draw him nearer. Yami's chilling voice stating_ "the alternative is death"_ was becoming more and more distant in Yugi's mind. Yugi felt like he was in a dream, a dream where he had no control over his own body. Yami's hand was still under his chin, and it tilted it slightly higher.

It was strange. Yami's eyes seemed as though they were coming closer to his face. Yugi found himself going to meet them halfway. _Wait...meet what? _He was confused, but apparently his body didn't care and kept acting on its own. _What am I doing? Do I need to try and stop whatever it is? _

And then...

Yugi realized what was happening when he felt lips touch his own. He thought he was going to pass out. _Oh my God...is he actually kissing me? _He didn't know what to think, or how to react. All he knew was that he liked it. To perhaps an unhealthy extent.

Yami's arm tightened slightly around his waist, as if to keep Yugi from getting away. But escape was the last thing on Yugi's mind. He was too busy enjoying their current activity. His eyes closed as he savored the feeling. He had no idea Yami was enjoying it just as much. Yugi almost sighed with disappointment when he felt Yami finally break the kiss. He heard Yami exhale, but it seemed like a distant noise.

_I...I can't believe...he kissed me... _Yugi was in a daze. He didn't know what to think. _Should I have pushed him away? Should I have enjoyed it as much as I did? Oh, man, I actually enjoyed it! What was I thinking? _

_But...how could I not enjoy it? I mean, well, I don't know. I know he likes me, but I don't now if I like him back. If I liked the kiss, does that mean...I like him? Is it true? Am I attracted to him? _

Yugi was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't even notice that Yami had lowered his head towards Yugi's neck. Yugi felt hot breath on his neck, and it pulled him from his thoughts. A sudden wave of fear rushed over him, and he felt that he really didn't want to participate. He placed his hands on Yami's chest and tried to push them apart.

"Yugi, please," Yami said, still poised to sink his fangs in Yugi's neck. "Don't struggle with me."

The very tone of his voice somehow managed to calm Yugi down. He stopped resisting and tried to relax, even though his heart was still beating wildly. _Just take your mind off of it. Find something else to think about. Anything. The weather, what time it is, how long you've gone without a bath-anything! _He could feel panic rising in his throat again. His fingers unconsciously tightened around the fabric of Yami's shirt.

Yugi felt something sharp pressed against his flesh, and he squeezed his eyes shut, bracing himself for the pain. He felt a prick and could feel Yami's fangs pushing through his flesh. He could feel himself starting to shake and he tightened his grip on Yami's shirt. _I can't feel the pain yet. Oh, God, I must be too delirious to feel it. _He was expecting the worst.

Yami's fangs sank down into Yugi's skin until the vampire's lips were against Yugi's neck. Yugi could actually feel Yami sucking blood out. He was confused. He still didn't feel any pain at all. Why not? It was scaring him somewhat. _Is it all going to come rushing down on me at once? _he wondered.

Strangely, his mind wandered back to the kiss. _What if that had something to do with it? _He could almost relive it second by second. Somehow, he knew, Yami had done something to stop the pain from arriving, but he just didn't know what. Yugi's death grip on Yami's shirt loosened slightly.

_I can prove to you now, that I don't want to hurt you, _Yami had said. And he had truly meant it. He hadn't just been trying to trick Yugi so he could have another meal. He had been sincere. _But that still doesn't mean I can trust him completely, _Yugi reminded himself. _He's a vampire, after all. It's his instinct to kill and feed off of humans. Just because you think he likes you doesn't mean he won't end up killing you later. _But he had a small feeling that Yami wouldn't kill him.

Yami finally released Yugi, cleaning his lips with his tongue. Yugi reached up a hand to touch the spot where Yami had bitten him, and his fingers passed over the two small puncture marks in his neck. A wave of dizziness suddenly washed over him, and he found himself falling forward. He expected to hit the ground, but Yami caught him.

"I feel weak," Yugi observed aloud, touching his forehead.

"That's to be expected. You just lost blood," Yami said. "Come. You must rest and regain your strength." He took Yugi's free hand and led him away.

Yugi felt a blush rising up at holding hands with Yami. He mentally sighed. _Maybe I _am _lovesick. _He was jarred from his thoughts as he suddenly stumbled and fell to his knees. He couldn't find it in him to get up. He felt like he had been spinning around for several long minutes, and the world was now tilting accordingly.

"Can you stand?" he heard Yami ask.

"I...I don't think so," Yugi said, trying not to topple over.

Yami let go of his hand. Moments later, Yugi felt arms encircle him, and he was lifted into the air. Yami, with Yugi now safely in his arms, continued walking. Yugi ended up with his head on Yami's shoulder. He sighed and closed his eyes. _I could fall asleep._

* * *

Yugi felt himself being pulled from dreamland. _Nooo, I'm too sleepy, leave me alone real world, _he thought, turning on his side and hugging his pillow. _...Pillow...? _

Yugi frowned, even with his eyes closed.Pillow? Where did a pillow come from? _Wait..._ he realized that he was lying on a bed, covered by a blanket, and was indeed hugging a pillow._ A bed...what does that mean? _He was still too sleepy to bother opening his eyes._ A pillow and a bed. And covers. Then...no, it can't be. Was that all a dream? _

_That's impossible. It was too real. It couldn't have all been a dream. But then how do I explain this bed?_ Yugi realized he wasn't going back to sleep, and irritably cracked an eye open.

Sunlight greeted him. He opened both eyes and sat up. What he discovered nearly made him fall off the bed.

He was still in the clearing. But he was _sleeping in a bed_, for goodness' sake! He looked down just to make sure it was real. Sure enough, he was sleeping on a real mattress, underneath a real blanket, with a real pillow in his lap. There was a box spring keeping the mattress out of contact with the ground.

Yugi blinked once, twice, and then rubbed his eyes. "How did this bed get here?" he wondered aloud.

"Yugi."

Yugi turned towards the sound of the familiar voice, and saw Yami's familiar red eyes watching him safely outside the clearing. Yugi was shocked to see that he could see more than just Yami's eyes. He could actually _see_ Yami's face. Some of it was still hidden in shadow, but some of it was visible to Yugi.

"Come here," Yami said. Yugi rolled out of bed, got to his feet, and walked barefoot to Yami's side. "Where'd this bed come from?" he blurted the moment he got there.

Yami smiled, and Yugi actually saw it. "I went on a little errand after you fell asleep last night," he said.

"You got me a _bed_?" Yugi exclaimed in disbelief, as if expecting the bed to disappear.

"It's more preferable than the ground, wouldn't you agree?" Yami said, raising an eyebrow.

Yugi nodded. "Of course," he said, "but, I mean, you didn't have...thank you."

Yami seemed surprised that Yugi had thanked him. He blinked, then smiled a genuine smile. It seemed to light up his face. "You're welcome," he said.

Yugi found himself smiling back, for the first time since he had been in the Forbidden Forest. "By the way," he said, "I was wondering, why did you kiss me last night? Did that somehow keep you from hurting me when you bit me?"

"When you willingly submitted to being bitten, that made it possible for the experience to be painless," Yami explained.

"Then what was the kiss for?" Yugi asked, confused.

Yami smirked. "That was a bonus."

His words made Yugi blush.

* * *

Yugi walked down the path to the river. Yami had left him to "prepare for the new day" as the vampire put it. Yugi was glad he still got some measure of privacy from Yami. 

When he made it to the river, he stopped and stared. Hanging on a low tree branch was a towel, and lying on a stump underneath it was a bar of soap. Yugi walked over to them and stared at them. "Wow," was all he could say.

He used them, though. The water was as cold as ever, but Yugi ignored the temperature and had a nice cheerful time bathing with soap. When he was finished, he dried himself off with the towel and went over to the stump where he had dropped his clothes. When he made it there, he saw something black folded into a neat pile. He lifted it up and found it was a black tank top and pants.

Yugi was surprised, again. The clothes felt like a fabric he had never felt before. In fact, they felt like they were made of the same fabric as Yami's shirt. Yugi didn't question it, however, and put the clean clothes on. He dunked his dirty clothes in the river and hung them up to dry.

That done, Yugi started down the path back to the clearing. He wasn't sure where else to go, so he just decided to get back to the most familiar place he knew and wait for Yami to show up. _It was really nice of him to get all this stuff for me, _Yugi thought as he walked.

Along the path back to the clearing was a very tall tree, the tallest Yugi had seen in the forest. He passed under it widely spreading branches. A rustling sound above made him turn his eyes upwards.

High up in the tree, relaxing on a branch, was none other than Yami himself. He seemed to sense Yugi looking up at him and looked down.

"I see you're finished bathing and dressing," Yami stated.

"Yeah," Yugi said. "Thanks for the clothes. And the towel. And the soap."

Yami stood up on the branch and jumped all the way down to the ground in one graceful leap. He landed on his feet in front of Yugi. "You don't have to thank me for every single thing I get for you," he said. "Now, come with me. I have something to show you." He headed down the path in the other direction, back to the river. Yugi followed him.

They went back to the river and walked along it until they came to a bridge across it. The bridge was solid black, and it looked like it was smoking. Yami crossed right over it, not seeming in the least perturbed. Yugi shrugged and followed him. The bridge didn't creak. It didn't even feel like wood under Yugi's feet. His sneakers didn't make a sound on it.

Yugi had just stepped onto the land on the other side when he heard a whooshing noise. He turned around and was shocked to see the bridge blowing away in wisps like some nonexistent wind had blown it. "Whoa, what just happened?"

"That is a bridge made of shadows," Yami said, continuing to walk without looking back. "From now on it will form whenever you approach the bank and wish to cross."

Yugi stared at the river. "Wow," he said, following Yami.

They traveled together down another path until they came to a place in the forest where the floor was clear of tree trunks. Branches stretched out over it above, letting only small strips of sunlight through. There was minimal light, but Yugi could see fine. Dotted all around the clearing were a bunch of different fruit trees.

"This is where you can come when you get hungry," Yami explained.

"This is amazing!" Yugi exclaimed. His eyes actually sparkled as he looked around.

Yami seemed pleased with his reaction. "I know you haven't eaten in a few days, so if you'd like you, you can eat now."

"Okay!" Yugi seemed almost like a hyper little kid as he went running from tree to tree picking fruit. He ate some along the way and dropped the minimal remains under their respective trees.

Yugi ate enough fruit for three people. When he was finished, he glanced back to see Yami still standing at the edge of the clearing, safely away from any sunlight, watching him. He went back over to Yami.

"I see that you enjoyed yourself," Yami said.

"Yeah," Yugi said with a blush. "I was just a little hungry. I ate like Joey," he said with a chuckle. Then suddenly he stopped abruptly, and the light faded from his eyes. He suddenly looked very sad.

Yami noticed the instant change. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Yugi looked away. "...I-I just...I miss my friends," he said. "They don't know what happened to me. They must be worried sick about me. They probably think I'm dead." Tears rose in his eyes and threatened to spill. "They might even be grieving."

Yami felt almost heartbroken. Of course. He should have known. Yugi had friends back in that town. Friends and probably family. He was going to miss them. Yami turned away. He should have known better than to get attached. Yugi would probably want to go see them now. He might even risk escaping to see them again. _I should have stayed with my instincts and killed him, _Yami thought miserably. Getting Yugi a bed and a towel wouldn't make up for the fact that he missed his old home. _This wouldn't have been a problem if he were dead. _

But the thought of Yugi simply being another lifeless corpse to join the field of bones was outlandish at this point. Yami knew now. He loved Yugi. He wanted to keep the boy forever. But Yugi wouldn't want to stay here. Given a choice, he would no doubt go back to where he belonged.

With humans.

Yami turned to walk away, no longer wanting to be around Yugi. _He was just living a normal life, and I messed it up, _he thought. _I should never have kidnapped him. I should have...just...I don't know. _

"Yami?"

Yami flinched when he heard Yugi's voice, sad and soft. He glanced back to see Yugi looking up at him, tears freely streaming down his cheeks.

"Please don't leave me here."

Yami could hardly believe his ears. Why did Yugi want him to stay? He turned and slowly walked back to the boy, who stood there, trying to control his tears. Yami, acting almost on autopilot, reached out with a hand and wiped Yugi's fallen tears from his face. Then he leaned over and gave Yugi a gentle kiss.

"Yugi," he said, his face still mere inches away from Yugi's, "I don't want to hurt you anymore. I told you that."

Yugi nodded. "You did."

Yami sighed and pulled away. He extended a hand to Yugi. "Come with me," he said, resignation in his tone. Yugi took his offered hand, and was surprised when he was pulled forward suddenly. Yami wrapped an arm around his waist and leaped up to the nearest tree branch. He traveled through the treetops without hindrance, Yugi safely in his arms. Finally he landed on the ground and released Yugi.

"Where is this?" Yugi asked, looking around. Yami took him by the shoulder and pointed in a specific direction. Yugi turned to look that way, and nearly passed out when he saw, through the trees, the road that led back to Domino Town. "Wh-what's going...?"

Yami wordlessly lifted Yugi's left hand. Clasped around the wrist was the silver bracelet Yami had given to Yugi. The former undid the clasp, and removed the bracelet.

Yugi looked up into Yami's eyes. "Yami?"

"I said I wouldn't hurt you anymore," Yami told him. "That didn't just mean physically. It meant in every sense possible. I do want you to be happy, Yugi, and I believe you are happier where you truly belong."

"What?" Yugi's eyes widened. "You mean..."

Yami nodded, and then looked down. "You don't belong to me any longer, Yugi. I'm setting you free. You can go home."

* * *

Juni: Wow. What a cliffhanger.  
Taku: It sounds like Ru is in for some more reviewer complaints.  
KT: If cliffs didn't exist, stories wouldn't be as great. That's my motto.  
Taku: But will it be enough of an incentive for them to come back?  
KT: I'd like to think so. You know the drill, you fine people.

* * *

**Yana5**: You bet he would (grin) Possessive sexy thing. 

**Pharaoh Atemu's Angel**: I knew you'd all want some yaoiness eventually. I live to please.

**ladywolfTerri**: (laughs) I see we agree on Duke. He's very expendable in my book. He's such a girl XP

My pen pal's name is Tony. I'll tell him you said hi (grin)

**UsagiLovesDuochan**: I was thinking the same thing about biting. No lemon after biting this time, but who says that won't happen next time? (hinthintwinkwinkcoughcough)

Yes, cliffhangers are evil. Which is why I use them. Apparently I'm evil too (evil grin) See? Even my grin gives me away...

Patience, young lemon-and-vamp-fic-loving grasshopper. It's a virtue. (Patience, not lemon XP)

**harleydbabe222**: (bows) Thank you so much. Compliments like that are what made me update this story three days in advance.

**xamosy**: Yeah, but see, when Yami is damn ruthless, it's even damn sexier (feral grin) Just imagine him with blood on his face, grinning at someone...turns me on.

Yep, I joined that group XD. Those people are just like me, loving the Yaoiness.

You know, don't you wish Yami was a vampire in the story? Getcha turned on just before dinner...I'm so evil X3

**Shire**: You know I couldn't keep you waiting (grin)

**Mizu**: Of course I'll write more.

**Masami Mistress Of Fire**: You guys are very hyper (grin) but I don't mind.

I think I have seen you guys in someone's author's notes before...but I really don't remember where. All I do remember is there was some girl in love with Damion...damn memory. It's leaving me in my old age XP

Thanks for the kiss and hug and punch to the face. Lucky for you, I am an expert on treating punches to my face. So you're off the hook (grin)

**Angel's Charm**: Hope I didn't make you fall off your chair (grin)

**Atemu Yugi Lover34**: Oh no, that wouldn't have been Tea or Joey, you should've known the minute he showed up that the girly-boy was going to die (snorts)

**pharaohs-slave**: If you're really his slave, ever kissed him?

Yes, I know, I'm quite evil. Several other people have told me that over the course of my life. Lucky for you I'm a necessary evil, which means I won't tear your head off.

**pyromaniacgrl**: If you insist, I'll go read Hellsing.

**Triana2**: Aha, so you noticed. Yugi gets fed this chapter though, so no worries. Too bad Yami didn't feed him himself though... (grin)

**LilAznSp0nge**: Ru is glad Ed wuvs the story. Ed makes Ru's day with such cheery reviews. Ru is suddenly talking in third person (eyebrow raises) Goes with the territory.

**Dark Angel Of Fire Ice**: Hail him? I personally would rather do him...but that's just my sick opinion (grin) I'll hail him for the time being, though.


	8. Real Love

Juni: We're back.  
KT: A big hug from me to **pyromaniacgrl, pharaohs-slave, Yami's Lil Angel, ladywolfTerri, Pharaoh Atemu's Angel, Atemu Yugi Lover34, Yami Neferbre, Dark Angel Of Fire Ice, xamosy, Yana5, Triana5, Koseta, Rexs Gurl, LilAznSp0nge, Kichi Hisaki, Mizu, AngelPrincess17, sakura-dream, Cathrath, Angel's Charm, YamiKITG, **and **Girltoy** for reviewing, and a dangerously large sugar cookie to **pyromaniacgrl **and **Girltoy **for adding me to your favorites list. It's my motivation.  
Taku: Let's just get to the chapter.  
KT: Don't rush me. Now let's get to the chapter.  
Taku: (exasperated sigh)

* * *

(last time) 

Yami wordlessly lifted Yugi's left hand. Clasped around the wrist was the silver bracelet Yami had given to Yugi. The former undid the clasp, and removed the bracelet.

Yugi looked up into Yami's eyes. "Yami?"

"I said I wouldn't hurt you anymore," Yami told him. "That didn't just mean physically. It meant in every sense possible. I do want you to be happy, Yugi, and I believe you are happier where you truly belong."

"What?" Yugi's eyes widened. "You mean..."

Yami nodded, and then looked down. "You don't belong to me any longer, Yugi. I'm setting you free. You can go home."

* * *

7: Real Love 

Yugi stared at his now bare wrist, then back up at Yami. The vampire was looking away, and his very aura seemed sad yet resigned.

"Yami, I-I can't leave," Yugi said.

"Yes you can," Yami said. "You no longer have to do what I say. I'm releasing you from our deal. Now go."

Yugi was finding it hard to believe. "But-"

"Go!" Yami snapped. He whirled towards the boy, his eyes flashing angrily. Yugi flinched and took a step back, intimidated underneath the harsh glare. Yami stared at him, then sighed and let his eyes drop.

Yugi stepped back up to Yami. He was reaching out with one hand. "Y-Yami..."

Yami suddenly grabbed him and pulled him close in a tight hug. Yugi found his face buried in Yami's chest. He thought he could feel Yami's body shaking, but he wasn't sure. He was surprised when Yami abruptly released him and turned and walked away. Yugi watched his back until he faded into the darkness.

With Yami gone, silence settled down and became Yugi's companion. Yugi looked into the darkness of the forest, as if expecting Yami to come back. His gaze shifted to the light that penetrated the trees. The unpaved road leading back home called to him.

Yugi slowly stepped through the trees. Being hit by full, unhindered sunlight was enough to nearly knock him down. He squinted and shielded his eyes with a hand. He could see the edge of the town up ahead. _I get to see my friends again, _Yugi thought, his spirits rising. He walked forward a few steps, then paused and glanced over his shoulder. The Forbidden Forest loomed behind him, no longer as eerie as it had been when Yami's existence was nothing but a legend to him. With a sigh he couldn't quite explain, Yugi turned back around and kept walking.

* * *

Tea stared at the pages spread out over the coffee table. Her mind was currently sorting through the math problem in front of her. _Okay, so there's six steps to solving this problem, and so far, I have two. Great. _Tea sighed and blew a breath upwards, lifting her bangs momentarily. 

"Havin' problems?" Joey asked from his seat beside her on the living room couch.

"Yeah," Tea said. "I used to be able to fly right through math. But now it's just so hard."

Joey grunted. "I can't even focus on math," he admitted, lifting up a piece of paper half-filled with illegible handwriting. "Dis is history."

Tea glanced over at the paper raised in Joey's hand. In front of them, the muted television was tuned to a news program. They were talking about some hurricane in Geneva. Tea wasn't even sure where Geneva was.

"You kids ready for a break?"

Tea and Joey both looked over the back of the sofa to see elderly Solomon Moto, coming into the living room with a tray of snacks and drinks for the two. They both lived with him, since they were both orphans. "I am," Joey piped up. "What's mine?"

Solomon came around the sofa and placed the tray on the coffee table, making sure not to put it on any of the schoolwork spread over it. "I'm sure you two can find a way to share nicely," he said, straightening up and dusting off his hands. "I'll be in the game shop if you need me." He left the living room.

Joey reached for the tray. "It's good eatin'-" He stopped when he noticed Tea had leaned forward slightly and now had her face in her hands. "Tea?"

Tea didn't respond for a minute. Joey watched her, concerned.

"It's just...every time I look at Mr. Moto...I think...I think of Yugi," Tea said through her fingers. She sounded as though she were fighting off tears. "They always did look a lot alike."

Joey instantly saddened. It had been four days since Yugi had disappeared into the Forbidden Forest. The town had formed search parties and looked all around the forest. Some had even been brave enough to explore the outskirts, but no luck. Joey knew that Yugi was deeper in the forest, perhaps barely surviving, but he knew his little buddy _wasn't_ dead. It was only a matter of time before he found his way out, or the search parties stopped being chicken and went deeper inside and found him.

With a heavy sigh, Joey reached over and placed a hand on Tea's shoulder. "Don' talk like he's gone foreva, Tea," he said. "Yugi's gonna be fine. We're gonna see 'im again real soon, I promise ya." Truth be told, Joey had been beating himself up about the whole mess since Yugi disappeared. He felt it was entirely his fault that Yugi was gone; after all, he was the one who had dared Yugi to go in there in the first place.

Tea sniffed and let her hands drop into her lap. "You're right. But I just miss him so much."

"Oh!" they both heard. It had sounded like Solomon. They both jumped up and ran to the back door of the game shop, thinking the old man might have been hurt. When they reached the open doorway, they saw Solomon hugging the life out of a familiar figure clad in black.

"Grandpa, I c-can't breathe," Yugi wheezed. Solomon released him, but didn't take his hands off the boy's shoulders.

Tea gasped. "Yugi!" she exclaimed. She sprinted from the doorway and nearly knocked him down as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're alive! You're back! Oh, thank God!"

Joey followed her, and he too was soon hugging Yugi. Yugi hugged them both back, incredibly happy to see them. But for some reason, he wasn't as happy as he had thought he would be.

"Man, I'm so glad you're alive, Yug!" Joey was saying. "You dunno what it's been like hea without you." He pulled back, tears in his eyes. "Yugi...I jus' wanted to say I'm sorry fer makin' you do dat stupid dare. It was the dumbest thing I think I've eva done."

Yugi didn't say anything about it. "I'm just glad to be back," he said.

"Yugi, you have to tell us what happened!" Tea exclaimed as she and Joey ushered him into the living room. "What did you do? How did you survive? And...where'd you get those clothes?"

"It's a long story," Yugi said, sitting down on the couch. "But, to start if off..." He sighed. "The legend about the Forbidden Forest? It isn't a legend. There's really a vampire in there."

"A what?" Both Tea and Joey looked shocked. "You're kiddin' me!" Joey exclaimed.

Yugi nodded. "It's true. He was real, I know. I was with him all this time."

"Did he hurt you?" Tea asked worriedly.

Yugi thought about Yami biting him twice. Then he wondered suddenly if his friends had noticed the bite marks on his neck. "...No, he didn't," he said finally. "He let me stay with him and showed me the way out of the forest."

Tea and Joey exchanged surprised looks. "Soun's like a nice guy," Joey said.

"He is," Yugi agreed, nodding.

"I'm glad he took care of you," Tea said. "I just wished he had showed you the way out sooner."

"Well, at first he wasn't sure if he wanted to let me go, because he was really lonely," Yugi told them. "But he finally did."

At that point, Solomon came bustling in with lunch, right after the snack, and he looked years younger.

* * *

The day went on with everyone under the Moto roof in considerably high spirits. Tea continued to hug Yugi at random points in time, expressing over and over again how happy she was that he was back. 

As the sun faded below the horizon, Yugi found himself in his and Joey's room, sitting on the bottom bunk bed and watching the natural light in the room fade. He sighed. He was back home with his family and friends. He should be overjoyed.

But he wasn't. And he didn't know why. He felt frustrated at not being able to sort out his own thoughts. Rubbing his temples, he closed his eyes momentarily. The darkness made him think of the Forbidden Forest.

"Knock knock?"

Yugi opened his eyes and looked up to see Tea at the doorway. He smiled. "Come on in," he invited.

Tea came in and sat down on the bed next to him. "Mr. Moto and Joey went out to get a few groceries before dinner. What are you doing up here all alone?"

"Oh, nothing really," Yugi lied. "Just...thinking."

"Anything interesting?" Tea asked.

Yugi shrugged slightly. "Not really."

They sat in amiable silence for a few moments.

"Want to come down and watch TV?" Tea asked.

"Um..." Yugi scratched his cheek. "Nah, I think I'll just sit up here."

Another brief silence. "Yugi, is something bothering you?" Tea asked. "You seem...preoccupied, I guess."

Yugi sighed. "Well, I don't know. Can you keep a secret?"

"Of course, Yugi."

"Well...okay." Yugi shifted so that he was sitting crosslegged on the bed, his fingers wrapped around his toes. "You know the vampire I told you about? From the Forbidden Forest? Well, I was thinking about him. I-I guess I kind of miss him. He was a nice guy, and...well, I have all these strange feelings running around inside of me, and I can't sort them out, and I know they have something to do with him. I just-" Yugi broke off suddenly and looked down, biting his lip.

Tea watched him, confused. "Yugi, what is it?"

Yugi sighed, but didn't respond just then. He seemed to be having an internal battle. Finally he raised his head, and the look Tea saw in his eyes almost scared her.

"Tea, I...I...I think that...I can't stay here," Yugi said.

The color drained from Tea's face. "What?"

"I want to go back to the forest. Before you say anything," Yugi added quickly, seeing that Tea was opening her mouth to protest, "I have to tell you. The vampire-Yami-I think I...have feelings for him. I've been trying to deny it for a little while, but it's become more obvious lately. I almost didn't want to come back, but I knew I had to see you guys. Tea..." Tears filled his eyes. "...I need him."

Tea's mouth was still slightly open, as if any moment she would jump in and protest.

"The look on his face when he sent me back...I could tell he didn't want me to go. I think he feels something for me too, Tea. And I don't think I would be as happy if I didn't go back to him."

Silence fell over the room. Tea was staring at Yugi, but her blue eyes held a kind of understanding. Yugi's tears were brimming and threatened to break, but he didn't look away from her.

Suddenly, Tea reached out and took Yugi's hand. "Then go back," she said.

Yugi looked shocked. "You agree?"

"I would rather you stay here with us," Tea said, "only because I've missed you so much. But I can tell just from your face that this is serious. It's love, Yugi. You love this guy. And he loves you. And two people in love should never be apart." Tea smiled a slightly sad smile. "There was something my mother used to say, one of the few things I remember her saying before she died. 'If you love someone, set them free. If they come back, then they're yours forever' she always said. He loved you, so he set you free. Now it's up to you to come back."

Yugi's tears were trembling on the edges of his eyelashes now, but he broke into a shaky smile. He hugged Tea, and she hugged him back. "Thank you, Tea," Yugi whispered. "I'm so glad you understand." He pulled back and wiped his tears away.

"Pack something," Tea urged. "Then go ahead and leave. I'll explain to Joey and Mr. Moto when they get back."

Yugi nodded. He jumped off the bed with a purpose. He opened the closet door and pulled out one of his old backpacks.Yugi pulled several of his items of clothing off of hangers and stuffed them in. He then went out to the bathroom in the hall and packed his toothbrush and the unopened tube of toothpaste.

While he was running around packing things, Tea was sitting on his bed, watching him go. When he had closed and shouldered the backpack, poised to walk out the door, she came up and gave him another big hug. "Tell him he'd better take care of you, because, vampire or no, I'll kill him if he doesn't," she said, making them both smile.

"Thanks again, Tea," Yugi said at the front door. Night had fallen by this time. "I'd stay longer, but-"

"No need to explain," Tea interrupted him. "Just go." She smiled.

Yugi smiled back and headed off down the road. Tea watched him go until he was out of sight. She went into the living room and sat on the couch silently.

Moments later, sooner than she thought, Joey and Solomon came back from the grocery store. They staggered in the door, arms full of grocery bags. "We'a back, an' we need help!" Joey yelled.

Tea stood up and went to the front hall. "Where's Yugi?" Joey asked as she took a couple of bags.

A sigh escaped from the girl, but she put on a determined look. "Joey, Mr. Moto," she said, "There's something I need to tell you."

* * *

Yugi found himself at the edge of the Forbidden Forest sooner than he had expected. Either he had been walking faster than he thought, or it wasn't so far away. Either way, he was here now, and that was what counted. Sighing, Yugi shifted the weight on his shoulders and plunged into the forest. 

The darkness didn't seem nearly as thick and dark, as it had the first time he had ventured into the forest. He kept walking forward resolutely, weaving around trees and keeping himself from being tripped, looking for anything familiar. He took another step forward, and suddenly found himself rolling downhill.

Yugi didn't voluntarily move until he was at the bottom. "I can't believe I rolled downhill again," he mumbled into the dirt. He rose to his feet and brushed himself off. "That was probably the same hill, too."

He checked himself for injuries and, finding none too serious, continued walking, backpack still strapped to his shoulders. His eyes wandered upward, though he didn't know what he was looking for. He found it when passing underneath a tall tree.

There he was, sitting leisurely up in the higher branches, seemingly staring off into space. Yami's eyes were glowing as usual, but Yugi could see the vampire's face as well as his eyes. He looked up at him, unsure how to shatter the silence.

As if sensing eyes on him, Yami looked down. His eyes flashed when he saw Yugi. He slowly stood to his feet on the branch, looking down at the boy. Then, without a word, he leapt from the branch and landed in front of Yugi.

Silence passed between them as they stared at one another. Finally Yami spoke. "Why did you come back?"

Yugi didn't blink. "Because...I love you," he admitted.

Yami took in a sharp breath. He stared at Yugi, as if disbelieving, but then he stepped closer to the boy. Yugi took the opportunity to throw his arms around Yami's neck and hug him. Yami's arms wasted no time in circling around him as well.

"You came back," Yami breathed, resting his cheek on the top of Yugi's head. "Oh, Yugi, I thought...I thought you'd be happier where you belong."

"This _is _where I belong," Yugi said. "Wherever you are."

Yami pulled away so he could gaze down at Yugi. "You don't know how happy it makes me to hear you say that," he said. He pulled Yugi forward again, and this time their lips met in a passionate kiss. When they broke it, Yami remained close to face and whispered, "I love you too, Yugi."

* * *

KT: Wow, that was sappy.  
Juni: And happy.  
Taku: And crappy.  
KT: (punches Taku)  
Taku: (is bleeding) No! My handsome face!  
KT: Heads up, people. I finally got a job (can you say paid?) so that means I will not be updating as frequently. I will be able to get the next chapter to Dark World up this week, but then I'm going to have to start putting more space between my updates, because I'll actually be busy. Just so you know.  
Juni: See you all next time.

* * *

pyromaniacgrl: (blushes) Aw...stop flattering me, you old silly. 

pharaohs-slave: I'm glad my story means so much to you that you'll hurt me for an update. (sweatdrop) I think. Your enthusiasm is amazing...and frightening.

Yami's Lil Angel: Ah, it's hard to find a good kind of sad. Poor Yami. He loves Yugi so much he's willing to let him go, just to see him happy.

ladywolfTerri: Haha...whoops, two cliffhangers in a row. Oh well. You lived. I'm sure Tony will be happy to hear from you (grin)

Pharaoh Atemu's Angel: (grin) You got it, dude. Hell yeah they kissed, and they better do a whole lot more of it.

Atemu Yugi Lover34: Tell your dad not to scare you awake anymore. It ain't healthy.

Yeah, you're right. But did I need to tell you that? No, you just read the chapter, now didn't you?

Yami Neferbre: Sure.

Dark Angel Of Fire Ice: Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll have to settle for hailing (grin)

Against the rules? What rules? The rules of living in the Forbidden Forest with a sexy lovesick vampire?

xamosy: NO! (trips over chair) I'm too young to die!

Yeah, I'm glad I joined the group. (pumps fist) It's an awesome place.

Woowee! (fans face) You better cut it out, because I'm getting turned on again. Hmmm...I wonder if I could get someone to draw a picture of that? Oh, that would be hot. And just think...Yami just got Yugi the bed...oh dear, I've got to stop.

Yana5: You're right about that.

Triana2: Haha, that's a good point; Seto's still at large. Run, Yugi, run!

Koseta: (stares) It's like you read the next few chapters. Damn you're good!

Rexs Gurl: I'm glad this one got your attention. Too bad Duke was such a dummy and didn't listen to Yugi's warnings...

I'll read one of your stories, I promise. I just have to free up some time.

LilAznSp0nge: Ed! You're making Ru speak in third person! Ru is gonna kill Ed!

Kichi Hisaki: Poor Yami. Poor Yugi. Love is sooo confusing sometimes.

Mizu: Aw, you love me? Why, thank you. You're so nice.

AngelPrincess17: Don't cry now. Here's a tissue (hands over tissue)

sakura-dream: All right, if you insist (grin)

Cathrath: Aw, you're making me blush. But, yeah, you're right, Yami and Yugi are perfect for each other. I've read some of your stories too, and I like them (grin)

Angel's Charm: Ah, yes, cliffhangers can suck. But they add to the suspense, do they not? It was very sweet of Yami to release Yugi, especially since he's a vampire and all.

YamiKITG: Thank you for adding this to your favorites. I appreciate it.

Girltoy: Thanks for all three reviews. You don't have to hurt me; I update on my own.


	9. Return Of The Slayer pt1

KT: It's time for another installment, brought to you by my warped imagination. Sorry it took so long, but hey, I didn't realize how exhausting your first job can be.  
Taku: (has bandage over nose) (nasal) Let's just move on.  
Juni: Maruka thanks **pyromaniacgrl, Dark Angel Of Fire Ice, Ryou's Twin Sister, Hell, Koseta, Girltoy, Yana5, Yami Neferbre, ailisa d. frieson, Mizu, marikslildevil, (blank space), xamosy, LilAznSp0nge, alxworshiper, Atemu Yugi Lover34, Yugi's Little MoonAngel, RexsGurl, i love athrun, aura-chan the neko-jin, **and **Ravenwing** for reviewing and hugs **sakura-dream, Yami Neferbre** **marikslildevil, Hikari's-dark-side-08, HP Girl 28, alxworshiper, **and** Yugi's Little MoonAngel** for putting her on your favorites list.  
KT: Thank you, Jun-kun. Now here's the chapter.

* * *

8: Return Of The Slayer pt1

Yami sat leisurely on the branch, one leg dangling over the edge. In his lap, Yugi was sleeping peacefully, with Yami's arms wrapped around him. The sun had just come up, but Yami was using his shadows to protect himself from the deadly light.

It was truly amazing. Yami had never thought that Yugi was even capable of loving him. But he did. And Yami loved him back. Now that their feelings were out in the open, Yami planned to never let Yugi out of his sight again.

Yami found himself chuckling lightly. It was almost funny. Yugi had somehow dragged out a side of Yami that he thought been abolished decades ago. Had he been told even five years ago that he would be sitting here now, holding a human, a human that he _loved_, in his arms, he would have laughed so hard he'd be paralyzed. But it was all true, and he was glad it was. He couldn't imagine how he had coped without Yugi before.

The sleeping figure in Yami's arms started to stir. Yami looked down as Yugi yawned and cracked open sleep-clouded amethyst eyes. "Good morning, love," Yami greeted with a smile.

Yugi smiled sleepily up at him. "Morning." He stretched in Yami's lap, and then rubbed his eyes, removing the last traces of sleepiness from his system. When he was fully awake, Yami took him back down to solid ground.

"I'm off to take a bath," Yugi said, turning and heading in the direction of the river.

"Happy bathing," Yami called after him.

_

* * *

_

Yugi made it to the river in record time. He found the towel and soap right where he had left it, along with the clothes he had hung up to dry. He smiled. Now that he had confessed his love to both himself and to Yami, it seemed as though an enormous weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He no longer saw Yami as a bloodthirsty vampire; instead he saw him as the one he loved. And the best part was, Yami loved him too.

Walking to the water, Yugi looked down at his reflection. He could see it pretty well, since his eyes had adjusted miraculously to the darkness, and there were a few streaks of sunlight shining through the trees. Yugi took off his clothes and, dropping them on the bank, stepped into the cold water with the bar of soap in his hands. He found the rock seat underwater and sat on it, enjoying simply sitting in the water.

After relaxing for a few seconds, Yugi got down to the task of bathing. He climbed out of the river ten minutes later, dried himself off, and dressed in the black shirt and pants Yami had given him yesterday. He left everything where he had found it and started on the path back to the clearing, intent on finding Yami.

"Did you have a nice bath, runt?"

Yugi stiffened, hearing the cold yet undeniably familiar voice.

"Yami must want you to be clean before he steals your innocence. How thoughtful of him."

The words were spoken with obvious contempt. Yugi's eyes flicked upwards to search the treetops over his head. "Why don't you show yourself?" he challenged.

"Gladly." A branch high up in a tree to Yugi's left shook briefly, as if something had jumped off of it. Moments later, a dark figure landed on one knee on the ground, head bent. He raised his eyes, and Yugi saw the cold ice blue.

A sneer formed on his lips. "Did you miss me?" Seto Kaiba asked in a mocking voice, straightening to his full height.

Yugi took a wary step back. "I was hoping to never see you again," he admitted.

"Well, that's sweet, but unfortunately, I'm the gift that refuses to stop giving," Seto said, a smirk on his face. "I've come back to finish what I started, and currently things are going according to plan."

"What?" Yugi said in fear and disbelief. Then, suddenly, he felt something cold wrap around his ankle. Yugi looked down to see a dark tendril tightly curled around his ankle. He gasped and tried to shake it off.

Seto chuckled evilly. "It's so easy to distract ignorant humans," he said with a pleased tone to his voice.

A second and third dark tendril wrapped around his other ankle and his left arm. Yugi twisted vainly to try and escape their grip. They felt light as feathers, yet their grip was strong. Yugi couldn't figure out what they were.

"Give it up, kid," Seto said. "My shadows are unrelenting, and you can't escape their hold."

"What do you want from me?" Yugi cried, still struggling to escape.

Seto came closer. "You are the key component in finally bringing Yami to his knees," he said, sounding quite delighted about it. "So you are going to help me trap him."

"I'd never help you! Especially to hurt Yami!" Yugi shouted.

"Well, I never said you'd do it willingly, now did I?"

Yugi tried to back away, but the shadows restraining him refused to let him budge an inch. He pulled in every direction but couldn't shake free. A damp cloth was suddenly pressed over his mouth and nose. He realized what his current predicament was and tried even harder to pull himself away.

"Once I lure Yami to the predestined spot I'll be able to get rid of him once and for all," Seto said with relish in his tone. Already his voice was fading to Yugi, and the surroundings becoming blurrier.

_No...got to get...away..._ Yugi's thoughts were slowing down. His muscles seemed to stop responding to the panicked messages his brain was sending to them.

Yugi's eyes were closing. Darkness was forcing its way into his mind and taking over. _Yami...help..._

He fell into pitch black.

_

* * *

_

Yami knew something was wrong the second a breeze kicked up, bringing with it the familiar stench of Seto's mixed blood. He whirled, crimson eyes cutting through the darkness._ He's back._ His legs instantly set him into motion, leaping up into the trees and springing from branch to branch. He felt fear at Seto being somewhere in his forest, when he wasn't there to protect Yugi._ Who knows what that bastard might do to him if I don't get there in time,_ he thought

His senses alerted him that the slayer was suddenly on the move...towards him._ So, he's coming to meet me._ He quickened his pace, hoping Yugi hadn't crossed paths with Kaiba.

A distant gunshot echoed, and Yami saw a branch over his head suddenly break and begin to fall, bringing down the deadly streams of sunlight it had been blocking. He dodged, but wasn't fast enough as a ray of light struck his hand.

Pain clawed at his hand all the way up to his wrist. He faltered in his speedy pace and found himself sailing to the ground far below. Reacting quickly, he twisted his body in mid-air so that he landed safely on one knee. He glanced over at his hand and hissed as he saw that the skin and veins had darkened from contact with the sun, and his veins were bulging. There was a stinging pain encompassing his entire left hand.

Then, he suddenly realized that the slayer's scent was nearby. His eyes snapped up to a figure standing on a branch high above him. "Lofty bastard," were the first words from his mouth.

"Lowly bloodsucker," Kaiba said in return. Yami noticed a strangely-shaped bundle over the slayer's shoulder, and then his eyes widened with horror when his lethargic nose finally picked up the second, even more familiar scent.

Seto smirked when he saw Yami's reaction. "So you finally noticed, leech?" he sneered. "I'm surprised that this weak human is so important to you."

"You dirty crossbreed." Yami's voice came out as a snarl. "Let him go _now_."

"And give up the only hold I have over you?" Kaiba said, seeming to enjoy torturing Yami. "I think not. But if you want him back so badly..." He tilted his head so he could look down his nose at Yami. "I'll offer you a deal. Meet me where we first made each other's acquaintance, on the rooftop, at 5:00 tomorrow morning. I'll happily set little Yugi free...if you trade yourself in return."

"_What_?" Yami spat.

"And if you don't come," Kaiba went on, clearly enjoying the moment, "then I'll be throwing this little punk over the edge of the building and watching him go splat on the asphalt below."

Yami's eyes narrowed, seething. "If you spill one drop of blood from Yugi's body, I swear I will tear your head off and stick it so far up your ass you won't be able to get it back out."

"Nice threats coming from the one who doesn't have the upper hand," Kaiba said. "Remember. 5:00 sharp tomorrow morning. Or else." He pointed his gun upwards and fired, bringing several branches down. Then he leapt out into the sunlight, ensuring that Yami couldn't follow him.

Yami remained on one knee, trying to control his breathing, the pain in his hand no longer important._ Don't worry, Yugi,_ he said to himself,_ I promise I'll save you. Even if I have to die in the process._

_I won't let that bastard win..._

_

* * *

_

Taku: (nasal) Is somebody getting carried away with cliffhangers? Yes she is.  
KT: Quit with the baby talk.  
Juni: You know you're on several peoples' hit lists by now.  
KT: I know. It's all a part of the risks of being a good authoress. See you all next time


	10. Return Of The Slayer pt2

Juni: They're back.  
KT: (gets up) Oh. (straightens clothes) Good. I sincerely apologize for the long wait. But I have been in the hospital. But anyway, thanks to**gdsdg, aquastar-bluemoon, Abby -WCD, redchibipuff, Hyper Robot, S'Star, DarkGatomon, kingleby, Queen-Raiden, Master Elora Dannan, Zeo-Hunnoru, Masami Mistress Of Fire, harleydbabe222, MikosWish, w/e, DaakuKitsune, Blue Autumn Sky, bakurasprincess, Moondust Angel, Innocent Rain, chibikuro rose-sama, Wolf and Dragon, zodiacalsign, Wren Truesong, Yami Kkwy, yaminakathy, Ilikeyaoi, Dpearl and nutsy, BloodRose16, luvingYAMI, Yugi's Little MoonAngel, Zaleone, Koseta, Ann, StolenDreamer, Ravenwing, pharohs-slave, Secret Agent Crimson, i love athrun, Angel's Charm, Mizu, LilAznSp0nge, ailisa d. frieson, xamosy, Darkwitch17, pyromaniacgrl, AgniDragon, Dark Angel Of Fire Ice, Yami Neferbre, Atemu Yugi Lover34, chibi neko doll, Yami Yuugi, ruby-sama aura-chan the neko-jin,****Yana5 **and **tish? **for reviewing and waiting patiently,and a giant hug to those who added me to your favorites list. (I'll list you next time)  
Taku: (less nasal) And now we move on, to the oh-so-exciting conclusion, blah, blah, blah...

* * *

(last time) 

"_You dirty crossbreed_." Yami's voice came out as a snarl. "Let him go _now_."

"And give up the only hold I have over you?" Kaiba said, seeming to enjoy torturing Yami. "I think not. But if you want him back so badly..." He tilted his head so he could look down his nose at Yami. "I'll offer you a deal. Meet me where we first made each other's acquaintance, on the rooftop, at 5:00 tomorrow morning. I'll happily set little Yugi free...if you trade yourself in return."

"What?" Yami spat.

"And if you don't come," Kaiba went on, clearly enjoying the moment, "then I'll be throwing this little punk over the edge of the building and watching him go splat on the asphalt below."

* * *

9: Return Of The Slayer pt2 

Yugi returned to reality slowly. Something rough was bound tightly around his neck, mouth, wrists and ankles, and his head felt a little sore. He groaned softly as he opened his eyes.

He appeared to be sitting on the rooftop of a tall building. Whatever he was tied against felt like cold steel. His arms were tied behind him and currently felt very uncomfortable. Yugi tried to loosen the rope around his wrists to give his arms more mobility, but he was rewarded only with the harsh rope biting into his soft skin. Yugi bit down on the rope in his mouth to keep from crying out in pain.

"Ah, I see you're awake."

Yugi's head snapped up when he heard the voice, and he glared at Seto Kaiba, who was looming over him with a satisfied smirk. "Good. It's almost 5:00, and Yami should be arriving any minute to 'save' you." He chuckled evilly. "He's become so weak that he's willing to give himself up to save your sorry hide."

_Yami isn't that stupid, _Yugi thought. _Most likely he's only pretending to go along with whatever deal Kaiba made so he could come here and kill him. _He didn't say that to Kaiba, though.

Seto let out another evil chuckle as he walked behind the steel pillar Yugi was tied to. "Now I'll simply wait for him to make his appearance," he said.

Yugi wished he could turn around and glare at the bastard, but he knew that the ropes would hurt him if he moved too much. Kaiba seemed to have used the roughest, coarsest ropes he could find, as if making Yugi suffer was something he enjoyed.

_Then again, it probably is, _Yugi thought grimly. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted as something behind him jerked rather hard on the rope around his neck, slamming the back of his head against the metal pillar and momentarily cutting off his air supply. Yugi squeezed his eyes shut as a burning pain circled his neck where the rope rubbed against his skin.

"That was more fun than I had thought," Kaiba said from behind the metal pillar. "Let's do it again."

Yugi leaned his head up against the pillar, bracing himself. The next tug on the rope caused it to cut deeply into his neck. Yugi tried not to cry out but couldn't suppress a whimper. He felt something run slowly down his neck from where the rope was hurting his skin.

"Ah, here he comes now," Seto commented from behind the pillar. "I can smell him on his way. I'll be downwind if you need me, runt."

Then, silence, as if Seto had magically disappeared. Yugi knew that he was still behind the pillar, though, waiting for Yami to show up. He wished the ropes restraining him were a little looser. He could feel them rubbing his skin raw. Only his ankles were protected from the rough ropes, by the legs of his pants.

Suddenly, there was the sound of wind, as if a breeze had blown upwards. Yugi looked up and saw Yami's glowing crimson eyes first. They looked darker than normal, though. Yami saw him, and his eyes lit up, but his face registered distress. "Yugi!" he exclaimed, coming forward quickly.

Yami was so overjoyed so see Yugi alive that he had forgotten of the imminent danger. He stopped abruptly when he saw Yugi shaking his head. "What is it?" he asked.

Yugi had to recover for a few seconds, as shaking his head had caused the ropes to grind against his flesh again. He looked back up at Yami, who had seen the blood running down Yugi's neck and had started forward again. "Yugi, where is he?" he asked, not slowing down for a second.

The tension grew in the air. Yugi tried to point behind the metal pillar with his eyes. Yami's eyes turned to the pillar Yugi was tied against, and then they narrowed. "Come out of there, you son of a bitch," he growled.

Seto came out from behind the pillar, holding the end of a rope in one fist. The other end of the rope was wrapped around Yugi's neck. "Testy, aren't we?" he said almost pleasantly. "I'm glad to see you could make it, Yami."

"That's right, I'm here," Yami said, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Now let Yugi go."

"Gladly," Seto said. He jerked the rope in his hands, tightening it around Yugi's neck. Yugi couldn't suppress another whimper that floated out. Yami's eyes narrowed. "But first," Seto went on, raising the gun and pointing it at Yami, "I get to kill you." Another smirk showed up. "You don't know how long I've been waiting for this moment."

"I would have thought you'd want to take me down while I was fighting back at you," Yami remarked casually.

Seto blinked. "What?"

"This way," Yami said, stretching his arms, "I'm simply standing here waiting for my execution. You used to say you'd love to take me down when I was fighting as hard as I could. Apparently your goal has changed."

Seto's ice blue eyes narrowed, and he cocked the gun. "I would have preferred taking you down in the old fashion, but I'd rather have you dead than anything else," he said, "no matter how it's done."

Yami sighed and looked down at his shoes, putting his arms behind his back. "That's too bad. If you had proposed a last fight between us, to the death, I would have thought you were still the famed slayer you claim to be. But like this...it's obvious you doubt your skills as a fighter."

"My fighting skills are fine," Seto snapped. "And they'll be better than yours will ever be."

"Then prove it, bastard," Yami shot back, staring him in the eye. "If you're so great, you wouldn't have to resort to using my 'weakness' as you call it. You would storm in my forest and kill me. But you obviously don't have what it takes to defeat me in battle; otherwise this would be a very different scenario."

Seto actually seemed unnerved by Yami's words. "I could take you on any day," he said slowly. After a moment, he lowered his gun. "And I'll prove it to you right now. You'll wish you hadn't chosen death this way, bloodsucker."

Yami smirked. "We'll see."

Yugi looked from one to the other.

Was this a part of Yami's plan?

* * *

Taku: Maruka, you are so asking for it.  
KT: SILENCE.  
Juni: Don't worry, folks; Taku-chan and I will make sure she updates soon.

* * *

**Yana5: **Oh, you sound so concerned. You'll see who dies...heh heh heh. 

**ruby-sama aura-chan the neko-jin: **I like them too. And there's no bashing in the story, simply because I don't feel like it, and I'm not telling you who died. Oh, whoops, now you know somebody dies. Oh well...

**Yami Yuugi: **You'll see what happens. The fight scene is next chapter. And thank you for adding me to your favorites list.

**chibi neko doll: **Your name is so cute I just want to squeeze you. You'll see what happens to outr friends, heheheh...

**Atemu Yugi Lover34: **Yep, another cliffie. And another one. It's even harder to work with doctors in the way. But I managed.

**Yami Nefebre: **I'm glad you are too, otherwise you might not survive this cliffie.

**Dark Angel of Fire Ice: **Thank you. I'm glad you love it.

**AgniDragon: **Thank you. I never really liked bashing anyway, so there won't be any. I don't think Tea deserves as much bashing as she gets./

**pyromaniacgrl: **Hah, fooled you.

**Darkwitch17: **Thanks. Bloody sounds like a good deal. But don't kill each other first.

**xamosy: **Yes, poor Yugi. I rather liked Yami's comment too. He's so protective in an abrasive way. Hope the waiting didn't kil you.

**ailisa d. frieson: **Hah, too bad. There's another one. But I'll try to dissolve the cliffie sooner than last time.

**LilAznSp0nge: **Aha! It's Ed! The one who makes Ru talk in third person!Ed better put those pom-poms away, or Ru'll take them and get you.

**Mizu: **Thank you, I will.

**Angel's Charn: **Yes, I know. Everyone calls me evil. Goes with the territory. If Yami dares to turn against me, I'll kill him. (shakes fist) You better stick to the script, you two.

**i love athrun: **Okay.

**Secret Agent Crimson: **Another hit list? Oh, great. I'm glad you like cliffies. I like them too.

**pharohs-slave: **You'll see what happens to Yami, eheh...

**Ravenwing: **Aw, thank you so much.

**StolenDreamer: **Yay for you! I'm glad to like. I live to please.

**Ann: **Thank you very much. I liked the traded insults too.

**Koseta: **Thank you. Aha, nice guesses, but you'll have to wait and see (waves finger) Thank you, I love hugs.

**Zaleone: **Another person calling me evil. (sigh) Now stop that poking. Oh, crap, the puppy dog eyes of death. (runs for the danger room)

**Yugi's Little MoonAngel: **Thank you. I don't know about hit lists, but I appreciate your enthusiasm. Oh, no, not more puppy dog eyes of death. (runs for the danger room again) Love waits for everyone, remember!

**luvingYAMI: **Yes, that's when the evil sets in, heheheh. I'm glad you like, and don't worry about the reviews. I'm just glad I held your short attention span. Thank you for the lovely compliments. (grin)

**BloodRose16: **Thank you, thank you. (bows)

**Dpeal and nutsy: **Um, I guess it's a good thing I bought that "demons of the shadow realm" net last week...

I'm glad you like. I don't know about Blade because I've never seen (or read or whatever) Yami is a vampire. Those are both good questions, but can answer kind of yes to the second one.

**Ilikeyaoi: **So do I. Whoops, oh, well, I'm a cliffaholic. Oooh, chocolate (snatches and eats) You got yourself a deal.

**yaminakathy: **I'm glad I could help. You're welcome, and thank you back.

**Yami Kkwy: **Go right ahead. I'll watch.

**Wren Truesong: **Oh, okay, I was about to say "that was before the long break!"

Yes, that has happened to me, too. I wish I hadn't landed in the hospital; I HATE long breaks in good stories. Thank you so much for your patience.

**zodiacalsign: **Yeah, I'll bet. Does it hurt to stop here?

Thank you very much. I didn't throw the brick.

**Wolf and Dragon: **I'm happy I was able to put Dragon in a trance. I will do as you ask.

But please snap Dragon out of it. I want you both to be able to read the rest.

**tish: **Are you unsure?

No need to cuss me out. I was in the hospital. IF YOU WANTED ME TO DROP DEAD YOU COULD HAVE COME TO THE HOSPITAL AND SWITCHED MY X-RAYS! But anyway, thanks for the...compliments?

**chibikuro rose-sama: **Yes, I am. (evil laugh) I hurried as fast as I couls. Girls Scout Promise.

**Innocent Rain: **Thanks. I will.

**Moondust Angel: **Okay, no prob. Hang in there.

**bakuras-princess: **Thanks. I'll do that. I think your E-mail address kicks ass.

**Blue Autumn Sky: **Hah, so I fooled you too. A lot of people thought that was it. But no, Seto is back.

**DaakuKitsune: **Thank you. But I love cliffhangers. (evil laugh) You will find out what happens to him...

**w/e: **Haha, sorry to make you wait. No, I won't stop there. We have more chapters.

**MikosWish: **I'm glad you did. I will, I promise.

**harleydbabe222: **Haha, suspense can do that to you. Don't worry, we're on our way.

**Masami Mistress of Fire:** I'm glad you did. Don't hug him, you'll tear the ropes.

Tell Damion I know where I've seen him, and I'm going to get him. (just kidding)

**Zeo-Hunnoru: **Right now. Go on, read.

**Master Elora Dannan: **Okay.

**Queen-Raiden:** Yes it is. Ready for more?

**kingleby: **Thank you. I can too, that's why I made him one.

**DarkGatomon: **Yes, cliffies are evil. I know.

Hope you're over your cold now (XP). I'm sure my reviewers would like that too, including you.

**S'Star: **Sounds like a plan.

**Hyper Robot: **Thanks very much.

**redchibipuff: **Don't die. Quick, here's the chapter. Eat it, I mean, read it.

**Abby -WCD: **Yes, me too. But bad-assed Yami is better. Lovely...hmmm, never heard yaoiness described like that.

**aquastar-bluemoon: **I don't know why, but you sound so cute saying that. Don't cry for Yugi...yet anyway...oh, whoops.

**gdsdg: **Glad you do. I will.


	11. To The Death

Juni: See? What did we tell you.  
KT: (tied to desk chair) (grumbling)  
Taku: She hasn't even had a bathroom break.  
KT: (squirms) I gotta go!  
Juni: Update, and we'll untie you.  
KT: Oh fine, you hostage-holders. Thanks to **Magestar, ladywolfTerri,** **Angel's Charm, Queen Raiden, FYI, Yana5, kkwyDragonflame, Masami Mistress Of Fire, Yami Nefebre, Abby-WCD, Dark Angel Of Fire Ice, MikosWish, ilikeyaoi, xamosy, Zaleone, Blue Autumn Sky, Shire, Crazyb1tch85, frogger666, kingleby, KeraJeir,Wolf and Dragon, Jade, chibikuro rose-sama, Innocent Rain, **and **Yugi's Little MoonAngel **for reviewing, double thanks to **Magestar **and **FYI **for the warning about reviews (I will keep in mind!) and triple thanks to to everyone who added me to your favorites list. (there's too many now; I can't remember who was already there. But read my bio; you're listed there!)  
Juni: And now the lengthy continuation, since several people were unhappy with the shortness last time.

* * *

(last time) 

"My fighting skills are fine," Seto snapped. "And they'll be better than yours will ever be."

"Then prove it, bastard," Yami shot back, staring him in the eye. "If you're so great, you wouldn't have to resort to using my 'weakness' as you call it. You would storm in my forest and kill me. But you obviously don't have what it takes to defeat me in battle; otherwise this would be a very different scenario."

Seto actually seemed unnerved by Yami's words. "I could take you on any day," he said slowly. After a moment, he lowered his gun. "And I'll prove it to you right now. You'll wish you hadn't chosen death this way, bloodsucker."

Yami smirked. "We'll see."

Yugi looked from one to the other.

Was this a part of Yami's plan?

* * *

10: To The Death 

Yami and Seto glared at each other from opposite sides of the rooftop. Seto had taken his gun and tossed it for the fight. A light breeze blew by, bringing to Yami's nose the strong scent of Yugi's blood. He forced himself not to look at Yugi, lest he get distracted.

"I hope you're ready, leech," Seto said.

"Don't insult me, asshole. I'm always ready," Yami shot back.

Yugi felt himself getting confused. They were mortal enemies, yet they found the time to swap witty banter like friendly rivals. His thoughts were cut short by the throbbing pain in his neck. _I hope I didn't slice anything vital, _he thought, trying not to move around.

Seto smirked. "Fine then. Let your last fight commence."

"I was about to say the same thing."

They both walked up calmly to each other, like they weren't about to try and kill one another. About five feet away from one another, Yugi noticed something black crawling along the ground after Yami. He felt fear rise in his throat as the moving shadows rose up and formed several sharp points, all aimed at Yami's back. Bracing himself, he used his tongue to push the rope out of his mouth and down his chin to hang around his neck. The pain rose in the appropriate places, but he hadmore important things on his mind.

"Yami, look out!" Yugi yelled.

Yami took a split second glance over his shoulder and dodged as the deadly shadows hurled themselves through the area where he had just been. Seto saw him move right and jumped into action, coming towards Yami to attack him. His eager fist raised and swiped at Yami's face, but the vampire dodged by ducking.

Yugi breathed a sigh of relief.

"I hope that wasn't your best idea," Yami said as he dodged another of Seto's punches.

"Unfortunately for you, no," Seto replied. He raised one hand, and shadows appeared at his feet and swirled up his body to his arm, where they formed a dagger he clenched in his hand. With his newfound weapon, Seto sliced at Yami.

Yami dodged the attack in the nick of time, barely missing having a chunk of his flesh hacked off. Seto swiped at him several more times, not giving him a chance to recover and attack himself. Yami jumped back to avoid another swing of the dagger, and tripped and fell.

"Clumsiness isn't one of your best traits," Seto said, bringing the dagger down. At the last second, Yami rolled out of the way and got to his feet. Seto jumped at him again, but a sudden flash of pain across his chest made him hesitate for a brief second, long enough for Yami to dodge the dagger.

Seto carefully felt his chest and found five deep slash marks through both his shirt and his skin. He glared at his opponent, noticing the blood dripping off of Yami's claws. "So, you got the first strike," he observed. "That doesn't mean much, however."

Yami took a step back and surveyed the slayer. "It means enough," he said to Seto. He held up his right hand, in which a second dagger made of shadows was clenched. "You're just avoiding the fact that in every battle where I got the first strike, you lost miserably."

"If you're so eager to use shadows," Seto said, ignoring his comment, "then how about I turn up the heat?"

At his words, a mist of shadows swirled around his feet, and then rose into the air. Seto pointed at Yami, and the shadows turned into a rain of sharp daggers and sailed at Yami. The vampire dodged all but one, which struck his wrist and caused him to drop his own dagger. Before he could recover, Seto was on him. A leg shot out and kicked Yami directly in the stomach, sending him flying into another metal pillar. His back slammed against it and he slid to the ground.

Yami rose to his feet, a little more slowly than usual. Seto charged at him, grabbed him around the collar, and threw him. Yami went sailing and hit the ground, finally rolling to a stop near the edge of the building. He slowly got to his feet, obviously in pain.

_Oh no! _Yugi thought fearfully. _Kaiba's going to kill him! I have to do something! _

"Am I getting to you, Yami?" Seto taunted. "I told you that you would regret this."

"I never regret anything," Yami shot back. A smile formed on his face. "And you've just given me a wonderful idea."

Seto was about to retort when something curled around his ankle and tugged hard, sending him down face first onto the ground. He rose up on his elbows and whirled to see what had him. One of Yami's shadows had grabbed him around the ankle in order to trip him. Seto turned back to Yami to see a dark blur racing at him. Acting on instinct, he stood up quickly and dodged, just in time for Yami's attack to miss.

The shadows on his ankle pulled again, causing Seto to lose his balance. Yami took advantage of the situation and hurled a new dagger straight at the slayer, slicing through his shoulder. Blood poured out of the wound and down Seto's right arm.

"How dare you!" Seto exclaimed.

"You never used to get this testy when I kicked your ass," Yami said, holding out his hand and materializing another dagger, longer than the first.

Seto created another dagger as well and stabbed it into the shadow holding his ankle, causing the restraint to dissipate. Then he lunged at Yami, intent on slicing his head off. Yami blocked his attack with his own dagger and then jumped away.

_I thought those injuries I gave him would have slowed him down, _Seto thought as he tried to formulate a plan. _Instead, _I'm _the one who's slowing down more! I have to do something or else I'm going to lose, and I can't have that._

Yami watched Seto curiously. _What the hell is he waiting for? Don't tell me those little scratches are rendering the weakling immobile. _He was snapped out of his thoughts by Seto lunging at him, a dagger in each hand. Yami blocked one dagger with his own, making both dissipate. He grabbed the hand with the other dagger and managed to sidestep. He kicked Seto in the back, propelling him forward into another steel pillar.

Seto stood and turned towards Yami. He glared. Yami heard a clatter behind him and jumped just as some of Seto's shadows tried to grab him.

"You'll have to be faster than that," Yami taunted as he flew through midair. He landed just in time to dodge more of Seto's shadows sailing towards him.

"I'm going to kill you!" Seto yelled, running forward, his dagger in his left hand. He threw it at Yami but missed. The dagger stabbed into the metal pillar Yugi was tied to, just above the boy's head, making him flinch.

A thought processed in Seto's mind. _I know just how to win this fight,_ he thought, a smirk appearing on his face.

Yami dodged the last of Seto's current attack and then created another dagger, which he threw at the slayer. Seto dodged it and sent a wave of shadow daggers flying at Yami. The vampire easily evaded them all. _He's truly lost some of his past skill, _Yami thought.

A strangled cry caused Yami to whirl to his right. One of Seto's shadows was wrapped around Yugi's neck, cutting off the boy's air supply and aggravating the injuries he had received from the rope.

"Yugi!" Yami exclaimed, running to save the boy. Something suddenly slammed into his right side, and he felt a searing pain seemingly split his arm in half. Burdened by the new pain, Yami faltered in his run and ended up stumbling and falling. He caught himself with his good arm, and turned to glare at a smirking Seto.

"That was a low trick, you snake," he hissed at the slayer as his own blood pooled on the ground.

"You're simply mad because you don't have the same kind of advantage as I do," Seto said.

Yami stood to his feet, letting his injured and bloody arm hang. He cast a glance over to Yugi, who was struggling to escape the shadow's grip, with nothing to help him. He was failing miserably.

Seto laughed evilly. "Give it up, leech. This fight is mine!"

_I've got to stop him, _Yami thought with a sense of panic. He rushed at Seto, holding his dagger high, while in his mind he commanded several of his shadows to prepare for an ambush. As he expected, Seto easily blocked his attack, and with what seemed like little effort, tossed Yami to the ground. Seto tried to stab him, but Yami rolled away. He got to his feet, fighting off the pain.

Seto didn't give him a chance to recover and attacked again. Yami had to dodge as quickly as he could, and even then there were several close calls. He felt his breath start to get short. _I have to do something, or neither I nor Yugi will survive this fight._

"What's the matter, Yami?" Seto taunted, clearly enjoying his position of power. "Is the fight finally taking its toll on you? You should have known better than to make jokes at my fighting skills. They'll be the death of you."

"This isn't over," Yami snarled, trying to stall for time to catch his breath."

"I'd say it just about is," Seto replied smugly. He raised a hand, and the shadows around Yugi's neck tightened, trying to bring about his death even sooner. Yugi's weak struggling did nothing but make the pain worse.

"Yugi! No!" Yami yelled.

Seto burst into satisfied laughter. "I knew it! As long as this runt is still alive, I'll hold power over you, Yami. I hold his very life in my hands, and because of it, you'll soon die."

Yami suddenly realized that something was coming behind him, and he dodged just as another of Seto's sharpened shadows sailed his way. They missed him, and he remained standing. He took off at a run towards Seto and jumped him before the slayer could prepare to attack or defend.

Anger nearly clouding his vision, Yami switched his dagger to his bad hand and punched Seto in the face with his good one. Behind him, he heard Yugi erupt into a coughing fit, as Seto's distraction had kept him from ordering his shadows to choke the life out of the boy.

Yami punched Seto again, knocking them both to the ground. He switched his dagger to his good hand again and, raising it as high as he could, brought it down with all his strength in the general direction of Seto's face. He hit the slayer's neck instead, sending blood and a second strangled cry flying upwards.

"That's where you're wrong, you bastard," Yami seethed. "The only reason you're dying right now is because you hurt my Yugi, and you made me angry."

Seto seemed to be trying to speak, but all he was doing was gargling the blood that rose up his throat.

"You will _not_ hurt Yugi again!" Yami yelled in his face. A lone shadow of Yami's rose up over the vampire's shoulder, its end a very sharp point. Yami glared at Seto, and the shadow rose up and stabbed the slayer in the face.

Silence fell. Yami released the slayer's collar and let his lifeless body drop onto the ground. His thoughts immediately turned to Yugi, and he whirled and ran to the boy's side. Yugi had fallen unconscious, with blood still running down his neck. Yami sliced through the ropes binding the boy with his claws and gathered Yugi's unconscious form into his arms.

Yugi's eyelids fluttered open partway. "Ya...mi...what..."

Yami shushed him. "Don't talk," he said in a low voice. "I'll take you back to the forest."

Yugi weakly gripped the front of Yami's shirt and rested his head on the vampire's shoulder. Yami, making sure the boy was securely in his arms, jumped off the building and rapidly headed for the safety of his dark forest as the sky began to lighten.

* * *

KT: Okay! I did it! Now UNTIE ME!  
Juni: (unties KT)  
KT: Whew! (stands up) I gotta GO! (takes off)  
Taku: (is laughing) Let's do that again next time.  
Juni: (glares) Oh, shut up, Taku.

* * *

**NOTE: **To any Dark World fans reading, the next chapter should be up soon, but I am having severe Writer's Block. I promise to deliver, though. 


	12. Another Visit

KT: (strangely aglow) I have an annoucement.  
Juni: What?  
KT: I'm having a baby.  
Taku/Juni: _What_!  
KT: It's true. My baby girl is seven months along. I can keep a secret, can't I?  
Taku: Uh, hell yeah.  
KT: Anyway, to commemorate it for the first time (on the web, at least) I give you the final chapter of The Forbidden Forest.  
Juni: For the last time here,Maru-chan glomps **Yana5, DarkNileStallion, frogger666, DaakuKitsune, Dark Angel Of Fire Ice, Atemu Yugi Lover34, MikosWish, Masami Mistress of Fire, kingleby, ailisa d. frieson, Zaleone, **and **Crazyb1tch85 **for reviewing.

* * *

11: Another Visit

Yugi felt kind of cold. And he could hear running water. A moment later, he realized he was near the river. _How did I get back in the forest? _he wondered. His neck hurt, not very much, but just a little. It suddenly registered in his mind that he wasn't alone. Someone was with him, and was holding him in their arms.

There was a heavy sigh above him, and a hand touched his face. "Please wake up soon, Yugi," Yami's familiar voice said.

_It's Yami, _Yugi realized. _Yami's with me. _He tried to open his eyes, but it seemed as though he didn't have the strength to do so. He felt like he couldn't even control his body and was lying there as if he were dead.

But he knew he wasn't dead. He just had to find the strength to open his eyes.

There was a sigh above him. "This is all my fault," he heard Yami say. "I should never have dragged Yugi into this mess. Yugi, if you don't recover, I...I..." Yami didn't seem to be able to finish. Yugi could feel Yami's arms trembling. _He's really upset, _Yugi realized. _He thinks he killed me. I have to open my eyes so he knows I'm all right._

Yugi summoned up what strength he could find and channeled it all into raising his eyelids. He succeeded, and his eyes opened ever so slowly.

"Yugi?" Yami's hopeful voice came.

Yugi tried to look up, but he couldn't find the strength to do that either. His head was resting on Yami's chest, face pointed downwards. Yami carefully lifted the boy's chin so they could look at one another. He had a relieved smile on his face, and it looked as though there were tears in his eyes.

"Oh, Yugi, you had me worried," Yami said softly. "You've been unconscious all day."

Yugi blinked slowly and stretched a little to relieve the stiffness in his arms. "What happened to Kaiba, Yami?"

"I killed the bastard."

"Oh." Yugi rubbed an eye, ignoring the coldness on his finger. He then noticed the bandage wrapped around Yami's shoulder. There were spots of dried blood on it. "But...you're okay, right?"

Yami nodded. "I'm all right."

Yugi noticed Yami's grave expression. "What is it?"

Yami sighed, shifting his position a little. "I just...feel bad that I dragged you into such a mess, and you were nearly killed for it," he admitted. "I don't know what I would've done if you had been lost, Yugi. I would have missed you so much."

Yugi looked down. What _would _have happened if he had died? He would never see Yami again. Or his friends. The sudden thought of his friends made him frown. Tea had willingly let him go back to the forest to be with Yami--but wouldn't she still miss him? And what if Grandpa and Joey hadn't agreed with his decision? They might even be mad that he had left without even saying goodbye.

"Yugi? What's wrong?" Yami asked, noticing the worried expression on Yugi's face.

"I was just thinking about some things," Yugi assured him, not looking at him. An expectant silence followed, so he sighed and continued. "I was thinking about my friends again. I wonder if they miss me." Suddenly he perked up, looking excited. "Yami! Why don't we visit them?"

"Why don't we _what_?" Yami stared at Yugi. "Are you serious?"

"Yes!" Yugi turned to face Yami and make his case. "You're not a bad guy, so there's no reason for them to dislike you. We should do it!"

Yami sighed. "Besides today, I don't know when's the last time I left this forest."

"Then you need to get out more often!" Yugi insisted. "Come on, pleeeeeeeeease?"

Yami sighed. "Oh, all right."

"Yes!" Yugi pumped a fist in jubilation. "You'll love them, Yami, and they'll love you! This is going to be great!"

* * *

So, after a few days to recover, Yami and Yugi, dressed for a cold evening, left the forest and headed for town. Yami couldn't believe he let Yugi talk him into meeting _more_ humans. _It's just the way he said it, _Yami thought, frowning. _I couldn't resist._

"Land on that roof," Yugi instructed, pointing. Yami obliged and landed soundlessly on the roof Yugi indicated. He let Yugi slide off of his back and straightened his jacket as Yugi headed for a skylight and peeked in.

"The room's dark," Yugi reported. "Let's open this window."

"Yugi," Yami protested. "As much as I know about freaking people out, if we open that window and come creeping up on them they'll be spooked."

Yugi considered. "Then I'll go find them and bring them to you," he said, not to be discouraged. He lifted the skylight and quietly jumped into the room. He wasn't so quiet, however, when he landed on the floor with a thud and an "Oof!"

Yami peeked into the room. "Yugi, are you all right?"

Yugi stood up. "Yes, I'm okay," he said. He turned to the door when he heard footsteps coming his way. Yami, who had just jumped noiselessly into the room, instinctively hid himself in the shadows.

There was a muffled voice on the other side of the door. "Joey? Are you out of the shower?"

It was Tea. Yugi walked to the door and opened it. He then stood face to face with a surprised Tea Gardner.

"Yugi?" Tea said in disbelief. Then she smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to visit you guys," Yugi said. "Are Joey and Grandpa here?"

Tea nodded. "Grandpa's downstairs. I guess Joey's with him." She frowned. "By the way, how did you get in here? And why didn't you come to the front door?"

"Oh!" Yugi said. "I almost forgot!" He turned to where Yami was still hidden in the darkness, looking pensive. "Yami brought me here." He motioned for Yami to come out of hiding. "Come on, Yami, she's not poisonous."

Yami slowly came into the moonlight that shone from the skylight. "Tea, this is Yami," Yugi said. "Yami, this is my friend Tea."

Tea looked at Yami in a scrutinizing manner. "So you're Yami," she finally said. Surprisingly, she smiled again. "I'm glad you took care of Yugi when he got lost in the forest. That was very nice of you."

Yami blinked in surprise. Yugi hadn't told them what really happened at first. "Certainly," he replied slowly.

"You look a lot like Yugi," Tea observed. She put her hands on her hips. "If Yugi is going to stay with you, I expect you to take good care of him."

"...Of course," Yami answered.

Yugi was watching them both with a big smile on his face. "Come on, Yami," he interrupted. "I want you to meet my Grandpa, and Joey. I'm sure they'll like you too."

* * *

Yami landed on one of the bordering trees of his forest and headed inside. Yugi was asleep on his back. _I don't blame him, _Yami thought. _He's had a hell of a week._

Yami frowned as he thought about their visit to Yugi's house. The humans had been nice enough, even if they were a little suspicious. The Tea girl seemed to be most accepting of him. _"If Yugi is going to stay with you, I expect you to take good care of him." _Yami shook his head. That sounded almost like a threat. Didn't she realize that he had been the strongest one there? But he guessed that she was simply protective of Yugi, and wanted to be sure that he would be all right.

_Now that Seto is dead, and we visited his friends, we should be able to live in peace, _Yami thought. He glanced back at Yugi as they made it to the clearing. Yami carefully slid the teenager off of his back and onto the bed. Taking off his jacket, socks, and shoes, Yami tucked Yugi in.

Suddenly, Yugi's eyes opened. "Did I fall asleep?" he asked with a yawn.

Yami nodded. "Yes, you did. I didn't want to wake you up."

Yugi sat up. "Now that Seto Kaiba is dead, what happens to us next?"

Yami smiled at him. "We'll stay here together."

"Forever?"

Yami nodded. "Forever."

Yugi smiled at this. He rested his head on Yami's chest. "I love you."

"I love you too."

They sat there for a few moments, lost in their own thoughts. "Yugi," Yami finally said, "I want to know if you would be all right with me still drinking your blood sometimes."

"Of course," Yugi said. "I mean, as long as I'm okay with it, it doesn't hurt, right?"

Yami smiled. He then frowned suddenly, thinking of just how open he should be with Yugi now. Sure, they were in love, but what if Yugi asked about his past one of these days? What would Yami say? Maybe the whole thing could simply be avoided. But if Yugi ever asked and Yami was less than truthful, would that jeopardize their relationship?

_This is too damn hard, _Yami said, sighing. He might as well tell Yugi now, and then they could move past it and get on with their lives.

"Yugi," Yami began slowly, mentally planning out his speech, and replies to anything Yugi might say, "I have to be honest. There's something I want to tell you about me, and I don't know if this will hurt our relationship or not, but I feel I should be honest with you, and maybe we can get past it." He took a deep breath and looked down to gauge Yugi's reaction.

Yugi was asleep.

Yami blinked in surprise. _You mean I was about to spill my guts to someone who isn't even listening? _He sighed, and then smiled as Yugi shifted positions on his chest. _Well, I guess it can wait. For now, we can focus on settling down. And I can prepare for the day when he asks.

* * *

_

Juni: It's over?  
KT: Yep.  
Taku: That didn't seem like a very vampiric end...And weren't you promising them some citrusy fruit that I now detest?  
KT: Yeah, but I'm still working on lemons. (best drafts currently suck) If they want some action, they'll have to wait for the sequel.  
Taku/Juni: Sequel?  
Juni: No, I can't take much more of this.  
KT: Quiet. Anyway, my lovely readers, yes, there is a sequel, but I am not trying to force you to tune in. So please let me know if you would be interested in a sequel.  
Taku: I hacked into Maruka's personal computer and found the summary for the sequel. Shall I post it--  
KT: No. I'll do it. This is the potential plot for the sequel. Sound interesting? If so, please let me know you're interested, and I will get right on it.

The Family Tree  
After Seto's death, Yami and Yugi prepare to live happily ever after in their forest. But when Yami's sister comes hunting after him, they learn that Yami's mother is in dire need of help to defeat a new enemy--one who knows more about Yami than he himself might know. (AU M Action/Adventure; Horror)


End file.
